Heal Me
by Merenwen Calmcacil
Summary: After accidents threaten to end their careers, NBA star Nathan Scott and recording artist Haley James end up in physical therapy together. But maybe they can heal more than just their bodies. Maybe they can heal their broken hearts as well.
1. The Beginning

Disclaimer: No, I do not own One Tree Hill. If I did, there would be a lot more Naley moments.

"Nathan, stop being a stubborn ass and get yourself to physical therapy," Jake Jagielski yelled into the phone, slamming his fist down onto his paper covered desk. "I got the Lakers to give you a year to get yourself back together, but only if you are actively trying to get your game back. It doesn't count if you're sitting around in that damn wheelchair drinking."

"Whatever, Jake," Nathan mumbled and then took another swig from the bottle of whiskey in his hand.

"I'm serious," Jake sighed, running his fingers through his short brown hair. "If you don't hold up your end of the bargain, they're going to sue you for breach of contract."

"My right leg was freakin' crushed Jagielski!" Nathan yelled.

"And the doctors said that if you work hard enough you'll regain full mobility," Jake said.  
"You'll be able to do everything you could before the accident if you would just go to physical therapy! Don't you dare hang up on me, Nathan Scott! Dammit!"

Jake looked down at his Blackberry, seeing that Nathan had hung up on him. He wanted more than anything to throw the phone across the room, but thought better of it. He set the phone down and instead grabbed the foam basketball off the corner of his desk. He chucked it as hard as he could at the door and sighed in frustration. He knew it was better than throwing his phone, but the noise it made was never very satisfying. He'd thrown that stupid little basketball a lot over the last four months. Jake felt like he'd been living in some sort of nightmare ever since Nathan Scott had been hit by a drunk driver on his way home from a game.

The Lakers had just made the playoffs and the entire town was celebrating. Nathan had actually listened to Jake for once and agreed to take the town car Jake had called for to get home. A drunk driver had hit the rear passenger side of the car where he'd been sitting. He was in the hospital for three weeks and had undergone ten reconstructive surgeries. The doctors were hopeful. Nathan Scott, however, was not, and there was nothing Jake could do to make him want to get better.

Jake pushed his plush leather office chair back away from his desk and rose to his feet. He grabbed his car keys out of the dish on the side table by the door and walked out into the main part of the office.

"Lorena," he said. "Hold my calls. I'm getting Nathan Scott to rehab if I have to drag his ass kicking and screaming."

Nathan sat in his wheelchair staring out the sliding glass door of his Malibu mansion watching the tide come in. He'd barely moved from that spot for days. He hadn't showered, hadn't really slept. He hadn't shaved, brushed his teeth, or done anything else to contribute towards basic hygiene. He just went through bottle after bottle of Jack Daniels, his drink of choice, and watched as the world turned around him. It didn't matter anymore. None of it mattered anymore if he couldn't play basketball. No one had ever come back from a shattered leg, not in a year anyway.

It would just be easier if he didn't even try. It would be harder if he tried and failed. He couldn't imagine working to rehab his leg for months and then not getting back in shape in time to play and losing basketball anyway. So, instead he sat there and drank. It was a hell of a lot easier.

Suddenly his front door burst open and Jake walked in.

"Get your ass in the shower," Jake commanded. "You stink and we're leaving in thirty minutes."

"No," Nathan said, taking another swig from the bottle. It was still early and he hadn't really gotten started with his drinking yet, but Jake was totally killing his buzz.

"You don't have a choice here, Nathan," Jake said.

"In case you've forgotten," Nathan said, raising his voice as he talked. "I can't walk!"

"You can walk just fine," Jake replied. "You got your cast off last week. You can walk well enough to take a shower. Here's your crutches. Now get your ass out of that chair and get cleaned up."

"Fine," Nathan grumbled, slowly standing up, grabbing the crutches from Jake and making his way towards the stairs. "I'll check out the facility. But if I don't like it, I'm not going back"

"As long as you go," Jake said with a sigh, shaking his head . "As long as you go."

…

"You're doing great, Haley," Lucas said encouragingly as Haley reached the end of the pool he was sitting at.

"It hurts," she whimpered, grabbing onto the ledge with one hand to pull herself partially up out of the water and pulling up her goggles to rest on top of her head. "Can I stop yet?"

'Not if you want to be ready to go on that tour of yours," he said. "Now come on, just a few more laps and then you can call it a day."

Haley nodded and then pulled her goggles back down over her eyes. She kicked off the wall with her good leg and took a firmer grip on the green foam kickboard. She had eight months until she was supposed to leave for her tour and she had to be able to stand for more than twenty minutes without her leg giving out from beneath her.

She hadn't wanted to take that stupid movie deal, but her manager, Brooke, had pushed her into it. The studio had wanted to get a singer to play the lead female role to give the movie a more authentic feel. It was some sappy western musical with a crappy script. Haley had never even ridden a horse before the first day of shooting. The accident happened one day in a thunderstorm. It was a pretty low budget film and the director was terrified of getting behind schedule and running out of money.

They'd known a storm was coming and Haley could feel how skittish her horse was. She'd begged the director to stop for the day, but he thought the storm would be the perfect backdrop. A particularly close bolt of lightning had terrified the already nervous house and he'd reared up, throwing Haley from his back and onto a fence, breaking her leg in four places. The doctors had been able to put it back together, with a few pins and a bit of medical ingenuity, but she couldn't stand for more than twenty minutes at a time, which really wasn't practical for a touring recording artist. Besides, she had her first headlining tour coming up. It was all she'd dreamed of since she was seven and learned you could sing for a living. She wasn't about to miss it for anything.

As she reached the end of the pool where Lucas was waiting for her, she looked up to see two other men with her physical therapist. One was standing and the other was sitting in a wheelchair. She stopped kicking and quietly made her way to the end of the pool. The three men were embroiled in a conversation and she took off her goggles and swim cap without anyone noticing.

"Of all the physical therapists you could force me to go to," the dark haired man in the wheel chair said. "You take me to my ass of a half brother?"

"I'm the ass?" she heard Lucas yell. "I'm sorry, Jake. But I can't help him."

"I don't want your help!" the dark haired man retorted.

Haley carefully pushed herself up out of the pool to sit on the edge. She adjusted her black and aqua bikini top and then rewrapped her long auburn hair in a bun at the nape of her neck. She sat there on the edge of the pool watching as the three men interacted. Luke was obviously agitated as he talked to the two other men. The one who was standing was tall with short light brown hair and deep brown eyes. He looked like a nice guy and was cute in the 'boy next door' kind of way, but he didn't hold a candle to the man on crutches.

His face was kind of familiar and Haley knew he had to be some sort of celebrity because most of Lucas' clients were. His strong sculpted facial features were to die for. His dark hair was probably the color of melted dark chocolate and Haley wanted more than anything to run her fingers through it. She'd never felt like that about a man before. His piercing blue eyes cut straight to her soul. But the arrogant scowl on his face was a bit of a turn off as far as she was concerned.

"Luke," the other man said. "You're the best physical therapist in California, maybe even in the whole country, and if Nathan is going to make it back to the NBA, he's going to need the best."

"Hey Tutor Girl," Brooke said as she stepped out onto the pool deck, carefully picking her way over towards Lucas to keep her designer shoes out of any puddles of water. "Oh, did I interrupt something?"

"Oh, Haley!" Lucas exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. I completely forgot about you."

"It's okay, Luke," she said. "I could see that you were busy. "Brooke, can you grab my towel and my crutches?"

"You really don't need those crutches," Luke admonished as Brooke went over to a nearby lounge chair and grabbed the items Haley had requested.

"But you worked me really hard today," Haley said with a little pout. "And now my leg really hurts."

"Hey…"

"No pain, no gain," Haley laughed and rolled her eyes. "I know. You've only told me that a thousand times since my first session."

"So, how'd Tutor Girl do today?" Brooke said to Luke.

"They're going to be flirting for a while now," Haley said to the two other men, hobbling over towards them on her crutches. "They've been doing it since college. I'm Haley."

"Haley James," the man who was standing said. "My girlfriend, Peyton, is a big fan. She loves your music. I'm Jake Jagielski."

"Nice to meet you," she said, shaking his hand. "And you are?'

"You don't know who I am?" the dark haired man scoffed. "What? Do you live under a rock or something?"

"No…"

"Nathan Scott," he said. "I play for the Lakers. Well, I played for the Lakers anyway."

"I'm sorry," she said, shifting her weight a little. "I don't follow baseball."

Nathan stared at her for a moment like she'd grown another head and Jake burst out laughing. Haley looked between the two of them in confusion and shifted a bit on her crutches again. Her left leg was really sore and it was awfully hard to stand on one foot for such a long time.

"I heard about your accident," Jake said. "How's the physical therapy coming?"

"It's coming," Haley said. "Some days are better than others."

"What happened?" Nathan said with a frown.

"And you think I live under a rock?" she laughed. "I was thrown from a horse while filming a movie. Unfortunately there was a fence to break my fall. I broke my leg in four places. I'm rehabbing for my big tour next year."

"Why does it matter?" Nathan said. "You're just a singer."

"I need to be able to move just like you do," Haley replied indignantly. "I may not be scoring touchdowns or whatever it is that you do, but no one's going to pay to watch me sit on a stool for two hours."

"Tutor Girl!" Brooke exclaimed. "I'm totally neglecting you again. Come on. I'll help you back inside and then you can get changed and we'll be off to the studio. I swear, I'm like the worst manager/best friend ever."

"It's okay, Brookie," Haley laughed. "I'll see you on Friday, Luke."

"See you then, Hales," Luke said as Haley and Brooke made their way back into the building.

"I didn't know you were rehabbing Haley James," Jake said after the glass doors had closed behind Haley and Brooke.

"Yeah," Luke said. "I mostly work with athletes, but Brooke and Haley are old friends. We met in college."

"They went to Duke?" Nathan interjected.

"No," Luke replied. "I transferred from Duke to UCLA where I met Brooke. Brooke and Haley were friends in high school and Haley went to Stanford."

"Why'd you leave Duke?" Nathan frowned.

"I didn't see much point in staying there if I couldn't play basketball," Lucas shrugged. "So I transferred."

"Why couldn't you play basketball anymore?"

"What is this, twenty questions?" Luke asked irritably. "I just couldn't, so I transferred and got my degree in physical therapy. I figured if I couldn't play anymore, I could still be part of the game somehow. Why am I telling you all of this? It's not like you even care."

"I was just curious," Nathan shrugged. "Can we get out of here now, Jake? It's obvious that he's not going to help me."

"If you're going to play basketball again, you're going to need Lucas's help," Jake said firmly. "Luke, please. You told me that you owed me after those really awesome Bobcats tickets I scored you last year."

"I don't owe you that much," Lucas grumbled. "Fine, but you have to show up for every session on time, no alcohol until you've finished with your physical therapy, and you do exactly as I say with no arguments."

"Why no alcohol?" Nathan asked indignantly.

"Because I said so," Lucas replied. "Alcohol impairs your judgment. So, you're less likely to do anything stupid and cause yourself to have any setbacks if you don't drink while in my program."

"And you really think that you can get me to the point where I can play ball again?" Nathan said quietly, staring down at his sneakers

"If you do exactly what I tell you," Lucas said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I haven't failed with a client yet."

"Okay," Nathan said. "I'll do whatever you say. Just get me to where I can play basketball again."

…

"So, who's Nathan Scott?" Haley asked as she hobbled into the kitchen on her crutches. She'd just gotten out of the shower and was glad to have washed all of the chlorine out of her hair. She had changed into her comfortable yoga pants and an old Stanford t-shirt, clearly settled in for the night.

Brooke looked up from where she was standing behind the dark marble counter of their kitchen island chopping vegetables for a salad and laughed. She'd shed her suit jacket and was standing in the kitchen barefoot in her white silky blouse and navy blue pencil skirt.

"He's the star shooting guard for the Lakers and Lucas's half brother" she said, slicing a tomato and tossing the pieces into the salad bowl to her right. "He's a total hottie isn't he? I thought I saw you checking him out."

"So he's _that_ Nathan," Haley said, making her way to the fridge. "He's a total ass is what he is. Did you hear the way he talked to Lucas?"

"Nathan and Luke have a lot of history," Brooke shrugged, grabbing a cucumber and slicing it as well. "They've both made a lot of mistakes where the other is concerned. You know they cost their high school basketball team the state championship, right?"

"Luke mentioned it once," Haley replied, pulling out a package of chicken breasts. "He never really told me all the details. Can you get a pan out for me? It's hard to bend down on crutches."

"Sure thing, Tutor Girl," Brooke said. "Believe me, you don't want to hear the whole story about Lucas, Nathan and Dan Scott. Their high school years sound like some crazy teenage soap opera. Whenever Lucas would drink too much at a party back in college, I had to hear the whole story over and over again."

Brooke grabbed the baking sheet out of the cabinet for Haley and then Haley covered it in foil. She washed her hands and then carefully opened the package of chicken breast and laid out the chicken on the pan. She washed her hands again before grabbing the seasoning she wanted out of the cabinet above her head and shook some on the chicken before putting it in the oven that Brooke had already preheated for her.

"Dan is both Luke and Nathan's dad, right?" Haley said. "But they have different moms?"

"Yep," Brooke said, dumping the cucumber in the salad as well. "From what Luke has told me, Dan's a total jackass. He's like totally denied Luke's existence his whole life and is just not a good guy. If you ask me, Luke is pretty lucky not to have had him in his life."

"I can't believe that guy Jake knew both of them and didn't know that they're brothers."

" I know as far as Luke is concerned they're not," Brooke exclaimed. "He only talks about Nathan when he's drunk. I only know anything about him from what I've seen on ESPN."

"Brooke Davis actually watched ESPN?" Haley said, leaning back against the counter next to the oven. "Is the sky going to start falling in around our heads?

"Very funny," Brooke said, moving on to the carrots. "If this whole singing thing doesn't work out, you should look into becoming a comedian. Some of those boys are damn fine though. But I had to learn about Nathan because he had a brief fling with one of my other clients last year, that model, Angelica. Reporters were constantly calling me with questions about him. Besides, Lucas goes on and on about him whenever he's drunk. It's kind of weird, but I think he's strangely proud of him."

"Hmm," Haley replied, making her way over to where Brooke was standing to grab a piece of carrot off the cutting board. "Well, it's not like I'll be seeing much of him anyway. We'll probably have completely different therapy times."

"You never know," Brooke shrugged. "Oh my god! You two could be Naley!"

"What?"

"If you were a couple," she clarified. "Your celebrity couple name would be Naley! That's so cute! Way better than Brangelina or Beniffer."

"I think you're crazy, Brookie," Haley laughed. "Besides, like I said, he's an ass."

"Well, he's kind of got a reason to be bitter," Brooke said thoughtfully. "I mean, basketball was his life and then he was in an accident that could mean he'll never play again. That's pretty rough. Need I remind you how bitchy you got after your accident when the label started talking about cancelling your tour?"

"I've worked my ass off for that tour," Haley replied indignantly.

"And don't you think Nathan's worked his ass off for his career too?"

"When did you get so wise, Brooke Davis?" Haley chuckled.

"Eh," Brooke shrugged. "It comes and goes. Tutor Girl, step away from the pasta. You've had macaroni and cheese with dinner every night for the last week and a half. It's time to start eating like a big girl."

"It's the food of the gods, Brooke," Haley said.

"Yeah," Brooke said. "If the gods are five year olds."

"Says the girl who was on the couch pigging out on macaroni and cheese next to me last night."

"Shut up," Brooke said, throwing a piece of carrot at Haley. "That was moral support and you know it."

"For what?"

"Lucas said Monday that your session today was going to be hard," Brook shrugged. "You needed to load up on carbs for energy, so I ate macaroni and cheese with you."

"That's a load of crap B. Davis and you know it," Haley laughed as the oven timer went off and Haley grabbed a pair of oven mitts to pull out the chicken. She got out a spatula and moved the chicken from the pan to a cutting board that was on the counter next to the stove to cut it up while Brooke dished up the salad she'd made into two separate bowls. Haley put some of the sliced chicken in both bowls while Brooke poured them each a glass of white wine and then they took their dinner into the living room of their apartment to eat it in front of the television.

"Oh, look," Brooke said after taking a seat on their tan suede sectional turning on the TV. "There's Nathan Scott. Looks like his finally making a trip to physical therapy is news worthy."

"I think he'd be a lot hotter without all the facial hair," Haley commented and then took a bite of her salad. "And maybe if his hair was shorter."

"But you do think he's hott," Brooke smirked, taking a sip of her wine.

"He's not completely unfortunate looking," Haley said, tilting her head to one side.

"I knew it!" Brooke exclaimed. "Tutor Girl has a crush on Boy Toy!"

"First of all, I do not have a crush on him," Haley replied indignantly. "And a crush? Seriously? What are we in second grade again? And second of all, Boy Toy?"

"I think it fits him," Brooke shrugged and then took a bite of her salad. "Well, it fit him before his accident anyway. Seriously, look at that picture they're showing of him. You're right. He is much cuter without the facial hair. Those cheek bones are to die for!"

"And you think I've got a crush on him," Haley scoffed. "If Lucas isn't careful, it sounds like he's going to have some competition."

"I can appreciate a male specimen without having a crush on him, Tutor Girl," Brooke said. "And you know Lucas and I are just friends."

"Friends who have been dancing around a relationship for the last six years," Haley said. "It's beyond obvious that you two like each other to everyone but the two of you."

"Shut up and eat your dinner," Brooke snapped, scowling playfully at Haley. "Oh, look! Gilmore Girls is on!"

Haley rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her salad. Brooke and Lucas's relationship was quite the sore spot for Brooke and Haley only brought it up when she wanted to shut her up. It wasn't very kind of her, but Haley was more than tired of talking about Nathan Scott. She wasn't sure how she felt about him as a human being. She knew from what Lucas had said over the years that he'd had a hard life. It didn't really matter though. She'd had one chance encounter with him. It wasn't like she was going to have the opportunity to get to know him or anything.


	2. Don't Fake This

Haley slowly made her way into the gym on her crutches. She would be beyond glad when her leg stopped hurting enough to where she could walk on her own two feet again. Crutches were a pain when you were trying to navigate through workout equipment. She reached up to brush a stray lock of her auburn hair out of her eyes as she spotted Lucas standing over next to the elliptical machines in his red Scott Fitness Center polo and turned to make her way towards him.

"Haley!" Lucas called when he spotted her, waving her over.

"Am I late, Luke?" she said. "Traffic was a nightmare."

"You're right on time," he said. "Listen, Hales, I have a huge favor to ask…"

"Oh no," Haley sighed, carefully reaching up to adjust the strap of her black gym bag on her shoulder. "Your favors never turn out well for me."

"When has one of my favors ever not turned out well for you?"

"How about them time I agreed to go on that double date with you?" she said. "The guy you set me up with showed up drunk and puked all down my dress before dinner had even arrived."

"That was one time…"

"Or the time I agreed to deliver that package for you to that address you had written down wrong," she continued. "And then got lost in a bad part of town and had my wallet stolen."

"That really wasn't…"

"Or the time…"

"Okay!" he said. "I get it. I don't have the best track record when it comes to favors. But this one is different."

"How so?" she said, shifting her weight on her crutches.

"I'll be with you the whole time?" he said with a hopeful grin.

"You were with me on that blind date," she said. "It didn't stop that guy from ruining a two thousand dollar dress, that belonged to Brooke by the way."

"Please, Haley?" Lucas pleaded. "I swear this one is going to work out better. I mean, nothing can really go wrong…"

"Don't say that!" Haley yelled.

"Why?"

"Because the time that you said that," she said. "Was the time I got pushed down a flight of stairs at that party and sprained my ankle. Why don't you just go ahead and tell me what you want?"

"I want you to let Nathan join in on your physical therapy sessions," he said.

Haley stared down at her shoes for a minute and then sighed heavily. Brooke was just going to love this. She probably wouldn't shut up about it for days. Haley stared at Lucas skeptically for a minute, softly chewing on her lower lip.

"Why?" she said after a long pause.

"Because Nathan needs someone to compete against," Lucas explained. "I don't think he'll be self motivated. And I can't ask any of my other patients to do this. Besides, I really don't want to be alone with this guy. Please, Haley?"

"Fine," Haley sighed. "When do these joint therapy sessions start?"

"Today," Lucas grinned. "Nathan should be here any minute."

"So, what?" Haley laughed. "If I said no you were going to ambush me and force me to say yes anyway?"

"Something like that," Lucas smirked. "We're starting off in the pool today. Why don't you go ahead and get changed and I'll have Nathan do the same as soon as he gets here?"

"Okay," she sighed again. "But you owe me big time, Lucas Scott. I mean, like personal slave for a month big time."

"Whatever you say, Hales," he laughed. "Now go get changed."

Haley glared at him playfully before slowly making her way towards the locker room. She set her bag down on the wooden bench in the center of the room and sighed heavily. She had no idea why or how she let Lucas talk her into things like that. His crazy ideas never turned out well for her and she was pretty sure working with Nathan Scott constituted a crazy idea. She quickly changed into her black and white polka dot bikini and grabbed her sun screen out of her bag. She carefully applied some to her face and shoulders before making her way out onto the pool deck. Lucas still wasn't out there, so she took a seat in one of the deck chairs to wait.

Just as Haley was sitting down, Nathan hobbled into the gym on his crutches. Lucas was leaning against the wall waiting for him just in front of the entrance.

"You're late," Lucas said, pushing off the wall. "I told you that you had to be on time."

"Traffic was a bitch," Nathan said. "I was stuck on the freeway for twenty minutes."

"Haley managed to make it on time," Lucas said.

"Haley?"

"Yeah," Luke said. "Haley James. You two are going to be having your sessions together."

"No way, man," Nathan said. "There's no way I'm doing this with some chick."

"It's either you do it this way or you go somewhere else," Lucas shrugged. "Personally, I don't care either way."

"Fine," Nathan grumbled. "Where is she anyway?"

"She's probably already waiting by the pool," Lucas replied. "So, go get changed into your bathing suit and meet us out there."

About fifteen minutes later, Nathan finally made his way out of the men's locker room and onto the pool deck. Haley was still stretched out on the deck chair with Lucas sitting at her feet.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Lucas said, standing up. "Let's get you two in the pool. Haley, can you go grab two kick boards for me?"

Haley stood up and moved to grab her crutches but Lucas stopped her.

"I think you can make it over to the bin without them," he said. "You know you need to get less dependent on them."

She shot him a look and then slowly rose to her feet and made her way over to the grey plastic bin against the wall. Nathan watched her walk away and suddenly felt someone slap the back of his head.

"Dude," Lucas hissed. "Stop checking out her ass."

"Dude," Nathan said. "She's hott. How are you not checking out her ass? You're not gay or anything are you?"

"What?" Lucas yelled. "No! Haley's just like a sister to me. You can't check out your sister."

"Whatever you say, man," Nathan replied.

"I'm not gay," Lucas said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It would be news to Brooke if you were," Haley said, handing Nathan a kickboard.

"Just get in the pool," Lucas said exasperatedly. "Haley, I want you to do ten lengths and Nathan, you can do four."

"Why is she doing more than me?"

"Because Haley has been coming to therapy for weeks and today is your first day," Lucas said. "Haley, you're in lane one and Nathan, you can have lane two."

Haley slipped down into the pool and then firmly grasped the pale green foam kickboard. She kicked off the wall with her good leg and set off kicking off the wall with her good leg again. Kicking your way down the pool was a slow process and it was probably Haley's least favorite part of rehab, but Lucas seemed to know what he was doing, so she did what he told her to.

She was already on her way back to the end of the pool she'd started at when she saw Nathan finally slip down into the pool. He watched her for a minute before grasping his kickboard the same way she was clinging to hers and then kicked off the wall as well. He started to kick in the water and she could tell by the look on his face that he was obviously frustrated over how slow he was going.

A young blond woman wearing a red polo identical to Lucas's stepped out onto the deck and walked over towards Lucas.

"Mr. Scott, Mr. O'Brien wants to move up his next appointment," the woman said. "He's on the phone now and wants to talk to you."

"Sarah," Lucas said. "You've worked here for six months. How many times do I have to tell you to call me Lucas?"

"Sorry, Mr… I mean, Lucas. Mr. O'Brien?"

"I'll be right in," Lucas said and then turned back to the pool. "Haley, Nathan, keep going. I'll be back out in a few minutes."

Haley sort of nodded her head to let him know that she'd heard him and then continued to kick her way down the pool. Nathan, on the other hand, turned back to the end they'd started at almost as soon as the glass door had closed behind Lucas and he was sure that Luke couldn't see him.

"You know," Haley said as she reached the end he was waiting at. "That really isn't going to help your leg get any better."

"You're not going to tell on me," he said, flashing her his trademark grin. "Are you?"

Haley looked down at the water for a minute, chewing on her lower lip, and then looked back up at him frowning.

"Alright," she said. "Listen up, hot shot. You see this kickboard. I am like this kickboard?"

"Green, foam, and waterlogged?"

"No," she sighed exasperatedly. "I mean, I, like this kickboard, am a tool to help you get better. So, you can work your 'I'm Nathan Scott, Mr. Hot Shot, scoring my touchdowns' on someone else because all your bluster and BS doesn't matter to this kickboard because it doesn't care whether you use it or not. And neither do I."

"So, can I use you however I want?" he asked suggestively, causing Haley to whack him upside the head with her kickboard.

"Does that line honestly work for you?" she said, scowling at him. "You know what, I'm starting to think this was a really bad idea. I don't think we should have joint therapy sessions anymore. I want to focus on getting better and you obviously want to focus on getting me into your bed, which is never going to happen by the way. So, I'm going to finish my workout and you can just do whatever. I don't care."

Haley kicked off the wall furiously and went back to kicking her way down the pool, far more vigorously than she had been doing previously. Nathan started to kick his way along as well, trying to catch up to her, but his leg wasn't up to her speed and when she passed by him, the splashing water drowned out anything he tried to say. Lucas came back just as they both finished and Haley got out of the pool without saying a word to either one of them.

They changed into their workout clothes and she came out to the weightlifting equipment with her iPod in hand, plugging the ear buds into her ears as soon as Lucas had set up her machine to the weight he wanted and given her instructions about what he wanted her to do. Nathan constantly tried to catch her eye as they did their exercises, but she refused to look at him. She seemed completely focused on what she was doing and Lucas had been right, she did serve as motivation for him. She was almost a foot shorter than he was and probably over fifty pounds lighter. In his mind, if she could do it, so could he.

"That was great, you two," Lucas said after they had both finished the sets he had assigned them. "Haley, you're looking really good. After next week, I think we can get rid of the crutches."

"Thanks, Luke," she said. "Can I go get changed now?"

"Sure," he said, frowning a little. "Is Brooke coming to pick you up today?"

"No," she replied. "One of her other clients has a photo shoot today and wanted her there."

"Oh," he said, obviously disappointed.

"Can I get changed now?" she asked, staring down at the red foam mat beneath her feet.

"Sure," Lucas said, his frown deepening.

"Can I go too?" Nathan asked.

"What the hell did you say to her?" Lucas said, his frown turning into a glare when he looked at Nathan.

"I was an ass," Nathan admitted. "I'm going to apologize. I swear."

"You better," Lucas replied. "Because if she won't work with you, neither will I. I knew you were going to screw this up."

"I said I was going to apologize," Nathan said.

"You better," Lucas said, crossing his arms over his chest. "But if you can't make things right with her, you have to find yourself another physical therapist. I don't need your business and Haley means far more to me than you ever will."

Nathan nodded his head, looking down at his feet, and then Lucas handed him his crutches. Nathan went to the locker room as fast as he could and changed his clothes. He wanted to intercept Haley outside of the gym so that he could apologize before she left.

Haley leaned against the warm red bricks and sighed heavily. She hadn't had a chance to talk to Lucas. He'd been busy with his next client when she'd come out of the locker room and she hadn't wanted to interrupt. She could always call him later, but part of her just wanted to be rid of Nathan Scott once and for all.

"Haley," she heard Nathan call as the doors to the gym closed behind him.

"What do you want, Nathan?" she said, not bothering to look at him.

"I wanted to apologize," he said, coming to lean against the wall next to her. "What I said early, well, I was out of line and I'm sorry."

"Whatever," she said. "You're still going to have to find someone else to work with you."

"There isn't anyone else," he said.

"What?"

"Lucas told me that if you refuse to work with me, he does too," Nathan explained. "And without him, without you, I don't have a shot in hell of making it back to the NBA. Without the NBA, I don't have anything."

"There are other physical therapists," she said.

"Not like Lucas," he replied. "Right after my accident, I called a lot of different therapists. Not one of them talked about getting me to the point where I could play ball again. When I asked, some of them even laughed. So, I lost hope. Then Jake brought me here and Lucas actually seems to think I can do it. No one has ever believed in me like that before."

"Nathan Scott, that all better be true," Haley said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Because if you're playing me like some sort of fool, I swear I'll…"

"I'm not," he cut her off.

"Fine," she said. "I'll keep doing the joint sessions. But you have to promise me that you'll be nice to Luke. He does seem to have some sort of faith in you and if you do anything to screw that up, I'll break your other leg myself."

"Okay," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake as a sleek black town car pulled up in front of the building.

"That's my car," she said after shaking his hand. "I guess I'll see you on Monday."

"Yeah," he said. "See you then."

Nathan watched as the driver came around and helped Haley get herself and her crutches into the car and then watched as she drove away. He stood there watching the car merge back into traffic and drive away until Jake's SUV pulled up to the curb in front of him.

"How was therapy today?" Jake said as Nathan climbed into the back seat.

"Surprisingly," Nathan said, throwing his crutches onto the back seat and then getting into the passenger's seat. "Not awful."

"So, you'll go back?"

"Definitely," Nathan said. "I'm kind of looking forward to it."

…

Haley stretched lazily the next morning beneath her fluffy white duvet. It was her first real day off without studio or therapy sessions in almost a month and she wanted nothing more than to spend a lazy day in bed. She'd been working hard ever since her accident to be ready for the tour, both physically and musically. Not only did she have to be able to physically handle the tour, but she also wanted to release a new album before she left. She blinked slowly and looked over to her window to see the early morning sunlight streaming in through the gauzy white curtains…

"Oh my god, Tutor Girl!" she heard Brooke scream from the kitchen. "Get your ass out in the kitchen right now and explain yourself!"

Haley bolted upright and clambered out of bed. She threw on her silky white robe and slipped her feet into her white slippers, tying the knot on the robe as she made her way into the kitchen.

"What's going on between you and Boy Toy and why didn't you tell me?" Brooke said.

"Nothing's going on," Haley replied. "Why?"

"The question is, why is there a picture of you two holding hands if nothing is going on?" Brooke said, tossing one of the morning's tabloids at Haley.

Haley stared down in shock at the picture. It was of her and Nathan from the day before shaking hands outside of Lucas's gym.

"First of all," Haley said, brushing a lock of hair back away from her eyes. "We're not holding hands. We're shaking hands. And second of all, where did this picture even come from? I don't remember seeing any paparazzi yesterday."

"Why are you shaking hands then?" Brooke said and then took a sip of her coffee. "And the paparazzi are everywhere, whether you see them or not."

"We struck a deal," Haley shrugged, grabbing her favorite blue mug down off the shelf and pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Shaking on it just seemed like the thing to do. I don't understand why you're freaking out about this. I mean, _The Sun _was the only one to pick up the story and you know they couldn't print the truth if their lives depended on it. Look, it says that we've been secretly dating for the last seven months. I'd never even met him before this past Wednesday."

"Be that as it may," Brooke said. "Now the rumor is out there. So, from now on, you have any physical contact, scratch that, any contact period with Boy Toy, you tell me ASAP. I don't care if it's a hand shake or a hug or you two going at it on the back seat of his SUV. I have to know about it, and if it's that last one I want details."

"Brooke!" Haley exclaimed.

"I'm serious, Hales," Brooke said. "I have to know."

"Well," Haley said and then took a sip of her coffee. "I'm pretty sure I can tell you with absolute certainty that nothing will ever happen between Nathan Scott and I. He's a complete ass."

"You know," Brooke said. "You keep saying what an ass he is. I'm starting to think that you're more trying to convince yourself than you are to convince me."

"Shut up, Brooke," Haley replied. "I'm going back to bed."

"You can't hide from this forever, Hales," Brooke called after her.

Haley waved her hand over her shoulder in dismissal as she made her way back towards her room. She'd just closed the door behind her when a thought suddenly struck her. She'd walked to the kitchen without her crutches, stood there for a few minutes talking to Brooke and her leg hadn't been in any pain. She was standing on her own two feet without her knee wanting to give out beneath her. Suddenly sleep was the furthest thing from her mind.

…

"So, you want to tell me what's going on with you and Haley James?" Jake said, leaning against the door frame of Nathan's home gym.

"God, Jake!" Nathan yelled after almost dropping the fifty pound weight he was holding on his foot. "Don't scare me like that. What the hell are you doing here? And how did you get in?"

"I have a key, remember?" Jake said as Nathan set the weight next to him on the bench he was sitting on. "And I'm here because of this."

Jake tossed a magazine to Nathan and Nathan caught it effortlessly. He looked at the picture of him and Haley standing outside of Lucas's gym from the day before on the cover and sighed heavily. He flipped through the magazine to the page the story on the two of them was on and scanned the article quickly before tossing the magazine back to Jake.

"That's a load of bullshit," Nathan said, putting the weight he was holding back onto the rack. "I barely know her."

"But the picture makes it look like you want to get to know her," Jake said, handing Nathan his crutches.

"She's just helping me rehab my leg," Nathan replied, leading the way out of the gym and towards his black, white and stainless steel kitchen. "That's all. We were just shaking hands to seal the deal."

"Whatever you say, man," Jake said. "But just so you know, if you did want to go after Haley James, I wouldn't discourage you."

"You wouldn't?"

"No," Jake replied, helping himself to an apple out of the fridge. "She would be great for your image. People love her and her 'nice girl' persona. She dated Damien West for a few months last year and his popularity skyrocketed."

"She dated Damien West?" Nathan asked.

"What's with the face?"

"I'm just seriously questioning her taste," Nathan replied. "And she thinks I'm an asshole. I've got nothing on West."

"Well, maybe that's why she's convinced you're an asshole," Jake shrugged, taking another bite from his apple. "You know, that whole 'one burned, twice shy' thing. She's a nice girl though, Nathan. Don't screw with her."

"Why do you care?"

"Because Peyton's a big fan," Jake said. "And if she finds out that you screwed one of her favorite singers over, I'm the one who's going to have to pay for it."

"Man, you are so whipped," Nathan said, shaking his head as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Whatever," Jake grumbled, stepping down on the pump to open Nathan's stainless steel garbage can and tossing his apple core inside. "Remember what I said though. I'm okay with you going after Haley James, but don't screw her over like you usually do it girls. Damien West hasn't gotten any favorable press since their breakup and it was six months ago. Sorry to eat and run, but I've gotta get going. I've got a press conference for that new football player I just signed with."

"It's not like I invited you over," Nathan scoffed.

"And that's probably why Haley James thinks you're an ass," Jake said, backing out of the room. "Seriously, a little politeness would probably take you a long way. I'll see you later, man."

Nathan watched as Jake turned around and walked out of the room. He'd never done the whole 'polite' thing before, not with girls at any rate. They had always just flocked to him because of his status as a basketball player. But then again, none of them had ever been the kind of girl he would consider having a serious relationships with. Not that he was considering having a serious relationship with Haley James or anything. She was just helping him with his physical therapy. That was it. In a few months she would go on tour and he would be back to playing basketball and they would never have to see each other again.


	3. Feeling a Moment

Haley was not prepared for the media circus waiting outside of Lucas's gym on Monday afternoon when she arrived for her physical therapy session. Apparently that one little story in _The Sun_ was that little spark that started a forest fire because paparazzi lined the block in both directions around the gym waiting for her and Nathan to arrive.

"Oh god, Brooke," Haley groaned, burying her face in her hands from the safety of inside the SUV. "This can't be happening."

Brooke looked up from the Blackberry and her mouth dropped open.

"Oh shit," she said, pulling her large dark sunglasses down away from her eyes to get a better look at the crowd. "Looks like your having a potential love interest is a much bigger deal than I anticipated, Tutor Girl."

"Brooke," Haley groaned. "What the hell am I supposed to do here?"

"What you always do," Brooke shrugged. "Hold your head high and deny everything. I think a 'no comment would cause even more damage here."

"Not very helpful, B. Davis," Haley sighed, adjusting her own sunglasses so that they firmly covered her eyes as the SUV finally came to a stop directly in front of the doors to the gym. Her bodyguard, Joe, got out and came around to open Haley's door for her. He mostly functioned as her driver, but was always at her side when situations with the paparazzi got sticky. Haley almost smiled over not having to use her crutches for the first time in public in ages, but grimaced instead as cameras flashed in front of her.

"Step aside," Joe said, taking Haley's arm and leading her towards the gym.

"Miss James," one reporter called. "Is it true that you and Mr. Scott are secretly engaged? Is that the reason why you're doing your rehab together?"

"Miss James," another called. "Is it true that you're pregnant with Mr. Scott's love child?"

"Miss James, is this all a plot to get Damien West back by dating one of his biggest on court rivals?"

"Miss James, is it true that you and Mr. Scott eloped this past weekend?"

"No!" Haley shouted. "None of it's true. I barely know Nathan Scott and am only doing this as a favor to someone else."

"That's enough," Joe said. "Let her pass."

Haley had never been so thankful to be inside the gym. The glass doors didn't totally eliminate the sights and sounds of the paparazzi outside, but they made Haley feel less claustrophobic. She sagged against the reception desk, inhaling deep even breaths as Lucas made his way over to her. He motioned to a couple of his employees and they immediately moved to pull down the red shades over doors that were usually only used at night in order to give Haley a little more privacy.

"I'd give you a hug right now, but I really don't want to end up on the cover of a tabloid tomorrow," he joked, leaning against the desk next to her. "I figure the last thing you need is for there to be rumors that you're having affairs with _both_ Scott brothers."

"I told you that none of the favors I do for you turn out well for me," Haley sighed, brushing her hair out of her face.

"You can't honestly be blaming me for all of this," Lucas chuckled.

"Well, I want to blame someone and you're closest," she said, smacking his arm playfully with her brown leather clutch. "Seriously, Luke, nothing I do for you ever ends well for me. I really need to just stop now while I still have some semblance of my pride and dignity left."

"Awe, Hales…" Lucas began as the doors flew open and Nathan came in as fast as he could on his crutches.

"Damn," he said, looking over his shoulder as Joe and Nathan's bodyguard, Henry, secured the doors behind him. "Have you seen the mob out there?"

"No duh, Sherlock," Haley said, giving him a pointed look.

"They've only been out there all day," Lucas added.

"Seriously, Luke?" Haley said. "And you didn't give us any warning?"

"Believe it or not," Lucas said. "I actually am a very busy person and I have a lot of celebrity clients. You two have been lucky so far as far as the paparazzi goes."

"I think exceptions should be made for people who are practically your family," Haley muttered.

"Fine," Lucas said exasperatedly. "Next time I'll be sure to ignore one of my other clients who aren't receiving a 'best friend discount' to make sure that you aren't inconvenienced."

"That is completely unfair," Haley said, smacking his arm again. "You're the one who wouldn't let me pay full price. If memory serves me right, you wanted to help me out for free."

"That's before I knew what a pain in the ass you were going to be," Lucas said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

Nathan watched the camaraderie between Lucas and Haley silently, chewing lightly on the inside of his cheek. They had such an easy relationship around each other. He couldn't help but be a little jealous. Haley seemed completely at ease around Lucas, but she seemed so uptight around him. She stood there leaning against the counter in her low slung jeans and white tank top with a pale green cardigan over it looking completely comfortable, while when it was just the two of them she seemed stiff as a board. He couldn't help but wonder what it was that Lucas had that he didn't.

"Alright you two," Lucas said. "We spend far too much of your appointments talking. Go get changed and then meet me at the elliptical machines."

Haley went to the locker room and changed into her pale blue running shorts and blue and grey sneakers, leaving on her white tank top. She pulled her long auburn hair up into a pony tail and grabbed her iPod out of her bag before locking it in her usual locker. Tucking the key into her white sports bra, she made her way back out of the locker room where Lucas and Nathan were already waiting for her.

Lucas gave them both their assignments and then Haley stepped up onto the machine, trying her best to ignore Nathan. It wasn't that he'd said anything. His mere presence just tended to distract her. She'd been too pissed off at him to really admire him when they'd been in the pool, but as he moved slowly on the elliptical machine next to hers, she got quite a view of his arm muscles because of his red t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. She was about to put her ear buds into her ears to try to refocus her attention on her workout when she heard Nathan clear his throat.

"Haley," Nathan said. "I'm um, sorry about all the paparazzi. I wasn't thinking about how things would look on Friday."

"Did you honestly just apologize?" she said, slowing down on the machine so that she could look at him better.

"Um, yeah," he said, looking around nervously. "I know you're not that big into all the attention and I'm sorry if I'm causing you a lot of problems because of this. You don't have to help me and…"

"It's okay," she said. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't want to."

"You want to?"

"Well," Haley said, both of them stopping completely and her chewing lightly on her lower lip for a moment before continuing. "Yeah, I do. It's nice to have someone who understands what I'm going through next to me. Lucas is one of my best friends, and he's a great physical therapist, but he's never been through this before. I like having someone who's going through the same thing I am."

"Yeah," Nathan said, smiling hesitantly. "Me too."

Suddenly the beeping of their machines drew their attention back to the task at hand and they went back to their workouts. Haley finally slipped her ear buds into her ears and selected her workout playlist, trying to focus on her leg rather than the man on the machine next to hers.

"God, Lucas," Nathan said, stepping off his machine after finishing his workout and securing his crutches under his arms. "Are you really sure you know what you're doing?"

"I think that's his way of saying he's in pain," Haley said, cutting Lucas off before he got the chance to say something rude or offensive in return. She was pretty sure that Nathan hadn't meant his comment the way it had sounded and really didn't want to have to play referee between the two. She watched cautiously as Lucas's jaw tightened for a minute and then relaxed.

"No pain no gain, man," Lucas shrugged after a pregnant pause. "And trust me, it's going to hurt a hell of a lot more before it starts to get better."

"I thought you were supposed to be some tough, badass NBA player?" Haley said teasingly, wrapping the cord of her ear buds around her iPod as she stepped off her elliptical machine. "Shouldn't you be able to handle a little pain?"

When Nathan shot her a wounded look, Haley laid her hand comfortingly on his arm for a brief moment. She looked down at her hand in shock and then snatched it back as if it had been burned.

"Don't worry," she said after an awkward silence, looking down at her sneakers rather than at him. "It gets better."

Lucas eyed both of them skeptically for a moment, like he wasn't quite sure exactly what was going on. He'd anticipated an even higher level of animosity between Nathan and Haley with all of the paparazzi outside. He hadn't anticipated them actually getting along. It just didn't seem possible. Haley was not supposed to like his ass of a half brother. Maybe it was because she didn't know Nathan like he did. Maybe she was more susceptible to Nathan's brand of 'Scott charm' than his own. He sent them both off to the lockers rooms to change into their swimsuits. It wasn't lost on him how Nathan was obviously watching Haley walk away before heading into the locker room himself.

It definitely wasn't lost on him how Nathan and Haley were obviously flirting when they were in the pool. Haley wasn't wearing her swim cap. She and Nathan were stopping to chat at each end of the pool and they were completely oblivious to his presence. He stood there with his arms crossed over his chest watching them, trying his best to rein in his jealousy. It wasn't that he liked Haley as more than a friend. It was just that Nathan didn't deserve her smiles. He didn't deserve to hear her laugh. He didn't deserve Haley.

"Hales, can I talk to you for a minute," he said as Haley was about to walk back into the locker room after their session was over.

"Sure," she said, wrapping her dark blue beach towel more firmly around her as they took a seat on two lounge chairs. "What's up, Luke?"

"It's about Nathan," Lucas replied. "Haley, I don't think you know Nathan as well as you think you do."

"I don't think I know Nathan at all," she replied with a frown. "This is only the third time I've seen him."

"Well, still," he said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his thighs. "Nathan… Nathan's a bad guy Haley and I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"Nathan was a bad guy in high school, Lucas," Haley said. "But that was six years ago. People change."

"Not Nathan," he said. "Guys like him don't change. If you knew our dad…"

"I don't have to know Dan to know Nathan," she said, standing up. "And I think that you're wrong about him."

"Hales…"

"And I think, right now, that you're the one being an asshole," she continued. "He's really trying here, Luke, and you're not even giving him a chance."

"He's trying?" Lucas scoffed.

"Yeah, he is," Haley said.

"Haley, you don't know about…"

"Lucas," she said. "I have heard all about your past with Nathan and Dan Scott more times than I can count, and I think it's time for you to let it go."

"How can you say that?" he frowned.

"You're not hurting Dan Scott, Lucas!" she said, throwing her hands up in the air. "You're not hurting Dan and you're not even really hurting Nathan since he doesn't expect anything from you. The only person here that you're hurting is yourself."

"You don't know what it was like…"

"I've heard all about you childhood too," she sighed exasperatedly. "And it sounds to me like you had a pretty good one. As far as I can tell, Keith has been a better father to you than Dan ever could have been. Maybe you need to start considering yourself to be the lucky one rather than the one who got the short end of the stick."

"How did I know that you would take his side?" Lucas spat.

"I'm not taking anyone's side!" Haley yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. "But don't ask me to take yours on this, because I don't think you'll like my answer."

Haley stormed into the locker room and quickly changed her clothes so that she could storm out of the gym. Lucas tried to intercept her on her way out of the gym, but she refused to look at him. She slipped on her sunglasses before even reaching the doors to try to block him out and walked out of the gym and into the late summer California sunshine, glad to see that the paparazzi had found someone else to stalk.

"Where's the fire?" Nathan called from where he was standing, leaning against the building.

"No fire," Haley replied, digging rather forcefully through her large clutch for her Blackberry. "Just an unwanted pest."

"What'd that purse ever do to you?" he quipped.

"I just had a bit of a spat with Lucas," she replied. "Where's that damn phone?" `

"Just calm down," he said, hobbling over to her. "You'll never find it if you're angry. What'd you fight with Lucas about?"

"Nothing," she said quickly as he plucked out her phone and handed it to her.

"It was me, wasn't it?" he said with a sad smirk.

"I think he's wrong about you," Haley said after a pause.

"He's probably not," Nathan shrugged. "I'm not a good guy, Haley. I'm not the kind of guy that deserves…"

"Nathan," Haley said and then sighed heavily. "I haven't known you very long, but I think you're a much better guy than you give yourself credit for being, and I think that's part of your problem."

"What?" he said, frowning and leaning forward on his crutches.

"I think you undervalue yourself, Nathan Scott," she said, tilting her head to the side as she looked at him, her brown eyes locking with his blue ones. "And that's a real shame. You know, I'm probably going to regret this, but I'm kind of hungry. You want to go grab lunch with me?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," he said with a smile. "What do you have in mind?"

"I guess you'll just have to trust me," she said, smiling back at him as a shiny silver SUV with darkly tinted windows pulled up to the curb. "There's my car. Let's get out of here."

…

"How did you find out about this place?" Nathan asked, taking a seat in one of the red vinyl booths.

They had just walked into a diner that looked like something straight out of the 1950s, minus the poodle skirts and waitresses on roller skates. There were framed autographed records along the red walls and a scuffed black and white checkered floor. It had a homey feel, like you'd just stepped into someone's well-used kitchen, and the best part was there wasn't a single paparazzi in sight.

"I waited tables here during the summer while I was in school," Haley replied, slipping into the other side of the booth. "I lived in the dorms at Stanford and Brooke had an apartment here in L.A., so I would stay with her during the summer. It reminds me a lot of Lucas's mom's café back in Tree Hill."

"You've been to Tree Hill?" he said, looking up from his menu.

"A few times," Haley shrugged. "Brooke and I don't exactly have normal families to go home to. My parents live in an RV and drive around the country all the time and hers, well, they're just never around. So, we went home with Lucas for all of our vacations. It's funny that we never ran into each other."

"I haven't been back since I got drafted," he said, looking back down at the menu.

"Why not?" she asked. "It's your home, right?"

"Aren't you even going to look at the menu?"

"You're evading my question," she said. "And no, I'm not. I already know what I want. I did work here for three summers."

"Listen, Haley," he said after a pause. "I don't really want to talk about my past. It's not who I am anymore."

"Okay," she said, looking straight up into his eyes. "So, any idea what you're going to order?"

Nathan's jaw almost dropped open. He really hadn't expected Haley to give up so quickly. He'd expected her to try to wheedle information out of him. He'd expected cajoling and puppy dog eyes. He hadn't expected her to just accept it and move on. She was so unlike most of the women he knew. She didn't look so different in her obviously designer clothes, but she was completely unlike anyone he'd ever known. When he was around her, he didn't feel like he was just a basketball player. He wasn't just his occupation. He was just Nathan Scott, just a regular guy and being just a regular guy for once was a whole lot nicer than he'd expected.

"What do you suggest?" he asked.

"The mac and cheese," she said.

"Macaroni and cheese?" he said with a puzzled frown. "Seriously?"

"Dude," Haley said, looking straight into his eyes again, her face completely serious. "It's the food of the gods."

"Yeah," he replied. "If the gods are five year olds."

"Shut up!" she said playfully, grabbing her menu and reaching across the table to smack him with it lightly on the shoulder. "This place has like the best mac and cheese on the planet. They're kind of famous for it. You don't know what you're missing."

"Whatever you say, Hales," he said with a grin that slid off his face the moment he saw the bewildered look on hers. "What?"

"You called me Hales."

"Is that a problem?" he asked. "I've just heard Lucas call you that a lot. I guess I just kind of picked up on it. Is that okay?"

"Yeah," she said with a warm smile. "It's kind of nice, actually."

"Yeah," he agreed and smiled back at her, his deep blue eyes sparkling. "It is."

…

"Hey, Luke," Brooke said, pressing her cell phone between her ear and her shoulder as she shuffled through a clothing rack, tossing the items that she liked down onto the chair next to her. She was in the middle of approving Haley's wardrobe choices for a couple of talk show appearances that she had coming up and really didn't have time to talk. "What's up?"

"Have you heard from Haley?" he asked.

"Not since I dropped her off at the gym," Brooke replied, holding up a pale blue shirt to get a closer look at it. "Why?"

"We sort of had an argument," Lucas sighed heavily. "And now she won't answer her phone and I think she left with Nathan Scott and…"

"Whoa," Brooke cut him off, dropping the hanger in her hand. "Tutor Girl ran off with Boy Toy? I told that girl to call me if she was going to be with Nathan!"

"You're okay with her being with him?" Lucas yelled. "Brooke! You know what an asshole he is!"

"No," she said firmly. "I don't. I only know what you've told me about a guy you knew six years ago. Six years is a long time, Lucas. And I think Nathan could be good for Haley, or maybe she could be good for him or something. Whatever, I'm her manager, not her keeper. I can't tell her who she can and can't hang out with."

"I knew you were going to take her side on this!"

"I'm not taking sides here, Luke," Brooke replied. "I'm just saying that Haley's a big girl who can make her own decisions. If she wants to take a chance on Nathan Scott, then that's her choice."

"She's supposed to be my friend," he said. "Not his."

"Real friends don't ask you to make choices like that, Luke" Brooke said, turning away from the clothing rack and brushing her hair back away from her face. "And you're the one who put them together."

"Don't remind me," Lucas grumbled. "I thought she'd be able to see through all of his bullshit."

"Maybe there isn't any bullshit to see through," Brooke suggested. "Maybe he's being genuine. Haley tends to bring out the best in people, you know."

"Trust me," he said. "There isn't a genuine bone in Nathan Scott's body. Can you just tell Haley to call me when you see or hear from her?"

"Oh no," Brooke said. "I'll suggest that she answer the phone when you call, but I'm not getting in the middle of this, Lucas Scott. If you pissed Haley off, you're the one who's going to have to deal with it, not me."

"Brooke," Lucas said. "I've told you what kind of guy he is…"

"No, Lucas," Brooke replied. "You've told me what kind of guy he was when he was sixteen. Most guys have gotten over the 'shoving people's heads in toilets' phase by the time they're twenty four."

"You just don't get it."

"No, I get it perfectly," she said. "And I think you need to give Haley a little more credit. Damien West excluded, Haley's a pretty good judge of character, and she's probably more upset right now over your lack of faith in her than anything you've said about Nathan."

"I hate it when you're right, Brooke Davis," Lucas chuckled and sighed. "I guess I should apologize."

"Yeah," she said. "You should. And hey, at least if things end badly you can always say I told you so."

"I guess," he replied. "I'll let you get back to work. Do you want to get dinner tonight?"

"Sure," Brooke stuttered, completely taken aback by his suggestion. "Sounds great. How about that Italian restaurant not too far from your apartment?"

"That works," he said. "Pick you up at eight?"

"See you then," Brooke said and then hung up the phone after saying goodbye.

She'd been in love with Lucas for so long, she'd pretty much given up hope that he would ever feel the same way about her. They'd had that spark when they'd first met and she had been nearly certain he was going to ask her out. Then he never did. Maybe the whole thing with Nathan and Haley would spur him in the right direction. Maybe he would finally realize that she was the girl for him. Maybe he would finally love her back and then her heart could stop hurting.

A/N: So, I just wanted to say thank you to all of the people who have reviewed for the positive response I've received for this story. I meant to include this in the end of the last chapter, but I already had it written and just forgot to add this in. Your reviews mean so much to me. It's really nice to know that your work has value to people other than yourself. I'm sorry this got posted so late in the day. I had to move back into my dorm room today and this was my first opportunity to get online.


	4. This is How a Heart Breaks

"Brooke!" Haley called as she walked into their apartment, kicking off her ballet flats by the door. "You'll never guess where I've…"

"Quick!" Brooke said, cutting Haley off as she stepped out into the hallway wearing a very short and very tight red dress that left very little to the imagination. "What does this dress say to you?"

"Hi, my name's Brooke Davis and I belong on a street corner," Haley said, setting her clutch down on the kitchen counter. "What's up?"

"I think Lucas may have finally asked me out on a date!" Brooke squealed. "Well, he didn't call it a date. He just asked me if I wanted to go to dinner with him tonight. But we're going to that romantic little Italian restaurant by his apartment and I'm really hoping it's a date."

"Oh my god!" Haley said, following Brooke back into her room. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Brooke said, grabbing a silky blue dress out of her closet and holding it up in front of her. "We were talking about you and Boy Toy and then he just randomly asked me out to dinner! What do you think of this dress?"

"Why don't you wear the black and white Prada one that you bought last week?" Haley suggested, taking a seat on Brooke's red satin covered circular bed. "So, I take it Lucas told you about our argument."

"Yeah," Brooke replied, reaching for a white garment bag in the back of her walk-in closet. "And I told him that he was wrong and that he needed to have more faith in you. You're a freaking genius Tutor Girl!"

Brooke pulled out the strapless white dress with the sweetheart neckline, the black slash and bubble hem, holding it up in front of her to inspect her reflection. She quickly shimmied out of the tight red dress and then pulled on Haley's suggestion. She twirled in front of the mirror and smiled in satisfaction.

"You told Lucas he was wrong?" Haley frowned. "Seriously?"

"Of course I did, Tutor Girl," Brooke said, turning to her friend and smiling sympathetically. "Hoes over bros, remember? Besides, I think you and Boy Toy could make a really cute couple."

"Well," Haley said. "About Nathan and I…"

"Tutor Girl, you are not allowed to drop a bombshell like this on me right now!" Brooke exclaimed, dropping the pair of black stilettos she'd just pulled off her shoe rack. "Just answer two questions. Did he kiss you and was it good?"

"No," Haley sighed, a little disappointedly. "He didn't, but we had a great time, or at least I did anyway."

"I'm sure he did," Brooke said, slipping her feet into her shoes and then turning to her accessory rack. "White or yellow gold?"

"Go for the diamond studs," Haley replied.

"Oh, great suggestion," Brooke said, grabbing a black velvet jewelry case. "I knew my great fashion sense would rub off on you eventually. Can I borrow that black clutch you got last month?"

"Sure," Haley said, standing up and going to grab the black satin purse out of her closet.

"Haley," Brooke said, inspecting her appearance in her full length mirror with a frown on her face. "You don't think I'm getting my hopes up or anything? I mean, this could just be us going to dinner like we have like a million times."

"I don't know, Tigger," Haley said, taking a seat back on Brooke's bed. "But I do know that you're going to absolutely blow him away in that dress. Lucas won't know what hit him."

"Thanks, Tutor Girl," Brooke said, and then looked over at her alarm clock on her vanity. "Oh, Luke should be here any minute."

"That's my cue to go hide out in my room."

"Haley…"

"I don't want to spoil your evening by Lucas and I getting into another fight right before you go out," Haley said, rising to her feet and grimacing a little as a pain shot down her leg. Apparently it wasn't as healed as she'd hoped. "I'll talk to him and patch things up tomorrow."

"Okay," Brooke said, sticking her lip gloss and cell phone into the clutch Haley's brought her. "I guess I'll see you in the morning or whatever. If all goes according to plan, I _won't_ be coming home tonight."

Haley quickly made her way to her room and grabbed her favorite guitar off its stand next to her bed. She still needed a few more songs for her album and she was feeling particularly inspired after her eventful day. She settled back against the mountain of pillows on her bed and then adjusted her guitar clip. She strummed a few chords and then adjusted the clip again. She reached up to tune the guitar a bit and then finally found the exact sound she wanted. She smiled a little as she started strumming and stopped to grab her song journal out of her nightstand drawer. She needed to have happy days more often.

…

Brooke Davis was mad. No, she was more than mad. Brooke Davis was pissed. She was outraged. She was livid. She was five seconds away from murdering her blond dinner companion by stabbing him to death with her salad fork and they'd only been seated at their table for fifteen minutes.

Lucas Scott had committed two cardinal sins in the world of Brooke Davis. First of all, he hadn't commented on her appearance. At all. She was wearing a brand new Prada dress and he hadn't even told her that she looked nice. She didn't expect him to recognize that the dress was Prada. He was a guy after all. But she at least expected him to say that she looked pretty or something. It was common courtesy after all and she knew that she looked way more than pretty. Her appearance deserved to be commented on.

His second cardinal sin was talking about another girl all night. Granted, that girl had been her best friend, roommate and client, Haley James, and Brooke knew that nothing was going on between him and Haley. However, that did not mean that he was allowed to have a completely one-sided conversation about her all night and completely ignore Brooke.

There they were, in one of the most romantic restaurants Brooke could think of. The place was entirely lit by candles and there was a phenomenal view of Los Angeles at night through the panoramic windows that surrounded the restaurant. A string quartet was playing over in the corner next to the small dance floor that was filled with couples slowly swaying to the romantic music. The atmosphere screamed 'Lucas Scott I asked you to bring me here because I'm completely in love with you' and he just wasn't picking up on it.

Brooke tightened her grip on her fork and stabbed rather viciously at an unoffending tomato on her plate. Lucas wasn't even picking up on the fact that she was upset. He was just going on and on what an ass Nathan Scott was and how he didn't deserve Haley and a whole bunch of other shit that Brooke did not care about. She took a large gulp of her wine and then signaled to the waiter to refill her glass. Even the tuxedoed waiter could pick up on the fact that she was unhappy as he smiled sympathetically at her. Lucas Scott, however, remained completely oblivious as he sopped up a little of the salad dressing on his plate with his bread stick.

"You know what," Brooke said, throwing the red linen napkin that had been sitting in her lap on the middle of her salad plate as she shoved her chair roughly back from the table. "I am so out of here."

"Brooke?" Lucas said, looking up with a confused frown on his face. "What? Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"Figure it out, Lucas," she said, grabbing her clutch and turning on her heel to march out of the restaurant. "And don't call me until you do. Haley was right. It's not Nathan who's the ass. It's you."

"Brooke!" she heard Lucas call after her. "Wait!"

She waved her hand to sort of wave goodbye and quickly walked to the elevators. As the polished silver doors slid closed behind her, she felt tears gather in the corners of her eyes. She was not supposed to cry. She was not supposed to be that girl who walked out of a restaurant crying when things didn't go how she planned. She angrily brushed the tears from her cheeks as she walked out of the building and into the humid summer night. Sighing angrily, she dug through the small purse hoping that Haley had stuck her usual emergency twenty in it since Brooke hadn't bothered to bring her wallet.

Her fingers closed around the crumbled bill and she waved her other hand to hail a cab as she stepped closer to the edge of the sidewalk. A yellow cab pulled up against curb and Brooke quickly climbed inside. She gave the cab driver her address and then sank back against the stained grey cushion, still trying to keep her tears at bay.

"Pretty girl like you shouldn't be crying in the back of a cab," the old cab driver said, reaching back to hand her a tissue as he pulled to a stop at a red light.

"Yeah," Brooke said, dabbing at her eyes with the tissue. "Well, the guy you fall in love with shouldn't forget to love you back but it happens."

"I'm sure he loves you," he said, slowly pressing the gas as the light turned green. "Men just aren't that good at showing it."

"If he loved me," she sighed. "Would he have spent the night talking about another girl?"

"Do you think he's in love with this other girl?"

"No," she said, turning to look out the window. "They're just friends. She's my best friend and they had a fight today and then he asked me out to dinner and… I guess I was just hoping maybe he finally…"

"You know," the cab driver said. "Whenever I have a bad day, my wife is the first person I call because she's the person I love best in all the world. I talk to her about whatever is bothering me and suddenly, it doesn't seem so bad anymore."

"I really don't think that's the case this time," Brooke sighed. "We've been friends forever and I just don't think he's ever going to see me as more than just a buddy or something."

"Were you the first person he called after that fight he had?"

"Yeah," she said. "I think so."

"You know the first person you call is the one you consider the most important in your life," the driver said as he turned onto the street Brooke and Haley's apartment building was on.

"But I don't want to just be his best friend," she said.

"Let me tell you something, honey," he said. "Thirty years ago tomorrow, I married my best friend."

"Really?" she said. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," he said, smiling at her in the rear view mirror as he pulled up next to the curb in front of her apartment building. "Trust me, it'll all work out for you and that young man of yours. I've got thirty years of experience to back me up."

Brooke thanked him and pressed the twenty dollar bill into his hand, telling him to keep the change. She quickly made her way into the apartment building and into the elevator. She pressed the button for her floor and leaned back against the cool metal wall with the black clutch tucked under her arm. Suddenly, she went from very sad to very angry as the doors opened and she marched down the hallway towards her door.

"Brooke?" Haley called when she heard the apartment door slam, coming out of her room in a black tank top and her favorite pair of plaid green and black pajama pants. "What are you doing back already? What happened to not coming back until morning?"

"Lucas is an ass," Brooke said angrily, slamming the clutch down onto the counter and nearly ripping her earrings out of her ears. "And I never want to see him again."

"You don't mean that," Haley said, leaning on her forearms against the other side of the counter as Brooke kicked off her shoes. "What happened?"

"He talked about you and Nathan all night," she said, pulling her cell phone and lip gloss out of Haley's clutch and then tossing it to her rather forcefully. "Not one word about how nice I looked. Not one word regarding me at all!"

"Oh, Tigger," Haley sighed, coming around the counter to wrap her arms around her friend. "I'm sorry."

"I just feel so stupid," Brooke said as the tears started to spill down her cheeks. "I just really wanted it to be a date. I wanted him to finally love me back."

"I don't think loving you is the problem, Tigger," Haley said, brushing Brooke's hair back away from her face. "You know, there's a tub of cookie dough in the fridge. Why don't you go change into your pajamas and we'll pig out on the couch. We haven't done that in a while."

Brooke nodded and leaned down to grab her shoes before making her way into her room, leaving the door partially open.

"Do you want to order a pizza?" Haley called, opening a kitchen drawer and pulling out a handful of takeout menus.

"Sure," Brooke called back as she slipped out of her dress and carefully hung it back up in her closet. "I did march out on Lucas before our dinner had arrived."

"Okay," Haley said. "I'll order our usual."

Brooke pulled a white tank top out of her drawer and pulled it over her head. She looked at herself in her vanity mirror and sighed heavily. She was a mess with all her smeared makeup. She went into the bathroom and washed the remnants of it from her face and then stared at her reflection.

"You're a beautiful girl, Brooke Davis," she whispered to her reflection. "And if he doesn't see that, if he doesn't see how great you are, he's not worth it."

"The pizza will be here in about twenty minutes," Haley called from the kitchen where Brooke could hear her shuffling through the refrigerator and then the silverware drawer. "I've got the cookie dough. I'm gonna put on a movie, okay?"

"Sure, Hales," Brooke called back and then turned her attention back to a reflection.

"He's not worth it," she said, gripping the edges of her white pedestal sink firmly. "And you're not going to cry over him. He's _not_ worth it."

She brushed the stray tears from her cheeks angrily before grabbing a pair of silky lilac pajama bottoms and managed to paste a smile on her face when she went to join Haley on the couch.

…

"You know," Haley said after pulling her spoon from her mouth. "We're totally going to fill up on cookie dough before the pizza even gets here."

"Oh, live a little, Tutor Girl," Brooke said, helping herself to another large scoop of cookie dough. "Did you ever eat your snack cake before your sandwich when you were a kid?"

Haley looked down at the tub between them embarrassedly just as there was a knock on the door.

"Oh, look," she said, setting her spoon down. "There's the pizza."

She padded over to the door in her leopard print fuzzy slippers that Brooke had gotten her as a gag gift for Christmas and opened it, picking up the pile of bills from the hall table without looking at who was standing there.

"So, how much do I owe you?" she said, counting the bills in her hands. "The pizza was… Oh, you're not the pizza guy."

"Hey Hales," Lucas said sheepishly. "Can I come in?"

"I don't know," Haley said, leaning against the door jamb with her arms crossed over her chest. "Are you my good friend Lucas or are you the asshole who's been pretending to be him all day?"

"I know I've been a jerk," he said, sheepishly ducking his head a little. "And I'm really sorry about everything I said to you earlier."

"I'm not the one you need to be apologizing to right now," she said.

"I know," he said. "Will she talk to me?"

"Brooke!" Haley called. "The asshole's here. Do you want to talk to him?"

Brooke slowly got up off the couch and walked to the hallway. She crossed her arms over her chest and stood back a little ways, watching Lucas coolly with her lips pressed firmly together in a thin line. He stood there in his now rumpled black suit looking like a total mess and she couldn't help but feel her heart leap a little at the sight of him.

"These are for you," Lucas said, holding out the bouquet of daisies he'd been clutching. "I would have been here sooner, but it's kind of hard to find an open florist at nine o'clock at night."

"I'll just go back in the living room," Haley said, quickly slipping between them.

"Are you going to say something?" he asked as she walked closer to him and took the flowers from him.

"I figured I would let you do all the talking," she said, setting the flowers down on the hall table. "I don't really have anything to say to you."

"Brooke," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "Can I at least come inside so we can talk?"

"No," she said, crossing her arms. "You can say whatever it is that you have to say from the hallway."

"Okay," he sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair. "I just wanted to apologize. What I was saying was completely out of line…"

"I'm not mad at you because of what you said," Brooke replied, frowning.

"Well, then why are you mad?" he asked, obviously confused.

"I'm mad over everything you didn't say!" she said. "I'm mad over everything you haven't said over the last six years."

"What are you talking about?" he said, frowning.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about," she said, tears starting to stream down her face. "You don't know. You've never known and I don't have time to sit around and wait until you figure it out. I'm sorry, Lucas, but I just can't do this anymore."

"Brooke," he whispered. "Cheery…"

"No," she choked out, reaching back for the door knob. "I can't do this. I'm sorry, Luke. But I just can't hurt like this anymore."

"Brooke," he tried one last time as she slowly closed the door in his face.

Brooke felt like someone was cutting her heart out of her chest with a rusty scalpel as she watched the hurt and shock play across his face as she closed the door on him, but she knew she had to do it. She sank down against the closed door and pulled her knees up to her chest, crying into the soft purple fabric that covered her legs. Someone knocked on the door and she instantly scrambled to her feet.

"Luke, I'm so sorry," she said to the startled pizza boy.

"Here," she said, grabbing the money Haley had set back down on the hall table, shoving it all at him without bothering to count it. "Just take it. Take it all. It doesn't matter anymore. Nothing matters."

She felt someone take the pizza box from her hands and instantly knew it was Haley when the smell of Haley's favorite vanilla lotion surrounded her. She slowly sank to the floor with Haley's arms around her as she sobbed into her best friend's shoulder.

"What did I do?" she choked out between sobs. "I sent him away. What did I do?"

"Shhh," Haley whispered soothingly into her hair, brushing it back away from her face with one hand and rubbing soothing circles on her back with the other. "It'll be okay. It'll all be okay."

"How?" Brooke sobbed. "Why doesn't he love me back?"

Haley honestly didn't know what to say as she sat there holding Brooke. She didn't know if she should tell Brooke that of course Lucas loved her, he just didn't realize it. She didn't know if she should tell her it was just time to move on. For the first time in her life, she didn't know what to say. She was Tutor Girl. She had always had all the answers. So, why was it that when her best friend needed answers the most, she didn't have any to give her?

"I think it's time for hard liquor," she said finally, helping Brooke to her feet and leading her back into the living room where their romantic comedy was still playing unwatched on the television, the gigantic plasma screened television that Lucas had insisted that they needed. Maybe they would have to go TV shopping in the next few days.

"Vodka?" Brooke sniffled, grabbing the red afghan off the back of the couch and wrapping it around herself.

"Sure," Haley promised. "I'll get the vodka."

"Don't bother with the shot glasses," Brooke called after her and then blew her nose loudly into a tissue out of the box on the glass topped coffee table. "I'm drinking straight out of the bottle tonight."

Haley grimaced a little, knowing that they would both be in for one hell of a hangover in the morning since she wasn't about to let Brooke drink alone. She grabbed the bottle of vodka out of the freezer and then made her way back into the living room with Brooke. Instead of sitting on the couch, they sat down on the floor with the coffee table pulled up over their legs and the bottle of vodka on the table between them. Haley could vividly remember when she was in Brooke's position just a few months before after her very public breakup with Damien. Just the thought of him made her want to take a drink.

"Here's," Brooke began, grasping the neck of the bottle and holding it up between them. "To all the losers in our lives. Here's to all of the Lucas Scotts in the world. Here's to falling in love and having the person forget to love you back. Oh, and here's to thirty years of marriage."

Brooke kept hoping to hear a knock at the door or the phone ringing as she drank. She kept hoping that Lucas would realize what she had meant and come running back to tell her that he loved her too, to tell her that he had always loved her. The alcohol caused visions of him at the door with a black velvet box in hand, which caused her to chase them away with more alcohol. She just hoped that maybe enough would make her forget him all together. She needed to forget that Lucas Scott ever existed. Then maybe her broken heart could start to heal.

A/N: So, that was a rather depressing chapter. I'm sorry there wasn't really any Naley in it. I just kind of started writing and this is what evolved. I promise there will be a lot more in the next chapter. Oh, and don't worry. Brooke and Lucas will eventually get together. It just might take them a little while. But, I promise. Lots and lots of Naley in the next chapter. Oh, and some Jeyton too.


	5. What Am I to You?

Haley wasn't sure how she'd let Brooke talk her into this as she sat in front of Brooke's vanity letting her best friend trace her lips with lip liner. She was wearing a very short dark purple dress with a very low neckline that she kept trying to tug up and Brooke kept swatting her hands away from. She usually didn't let Brooke play dress up with her. Sure, Brooke picked out or approved most of her outfits for all of her personal appearances, but then she was dressing Haley James the recording artist, not Haley James, her best friend/favorite life size Barbie doll.

"Brooke," she said hesitantly. "Are you sure this dress looks okay?"

"Shut up, Tutor Girl," Brooke said tersely. "Or you're going to end up with lip liner all over your face. And yes, the dress looks fine. It looks more than fine, actually. You look smokin' hot and all the boys aren't going to be able to keep their hands off of you."

"Oh great," Haley mumbled. "That's just what I was going for."

"I said shut up," Brooke said and sighed in frustration. "I can't have you going out looking like some sort of clown."

Haley semi-glared up at her and watched in the mirror as Brooke finished tracing her lips and then grabbed a tube of dark red lipstick. It had been two weeks since Brooke had broken things off with Lucas she had insisted that what she needed was a night out on the town. She prescribed dancing with hot men and lots of alcohol as the perfect cure for her broken heart and of course she couldn't go by herself. She needed a wingman and that task fell to Haley.

"You look fantastic, Tutor Girl," Brooke said, stepping back to admire her handiwork. "Those boys tonight won't know what hit them when we walk in the room."

"Great," Haley said with false enthusiasm. She had to admit though, she did look pretty good. The dress might be a little shorter than she was used to, but it was a great color on her and between it and the smoky eye makeup Brooke had applied, her amber colored eyes really stood out. She couldn't help but wonder what Nathan would think of her if he saw her. They'd gone to lunch a few more time since that first one. Haley couldn't say they were dating or anything, but she was kind of hoping it was going in that direction. The more time she spent with Nathan, the more he seemed like the kind of guy she could fall for and less like the asshole she'd originally thought he was.

"Now Tutor Girl," Brooke said seriously as she came out of her closet holding a pair of gold stilettos. "These are my brand new Jimmy Choos. You're lucky I'm letting you wear them without signing your name in blood that you'll bring them back to me in their current pristine condition. So, if anything happens to them, I'm not above murdering you in your sleep."

"I'm really feeling the love here, Brooke," Haley said sarcastically as she slipped the shoes onto her feet. "You know, I really don't understand why it was necessary to get a pedicure if I'm going to be wearing closed toed shoes."

"We got pedicures because they're part of the complete package," Brooke said. "Closed toed shoes or not, you can't go out with gross feet. Haven't you learned anything over all the years we've lived together?"

"Apparently not," Haley smirked, putting on the large gold hoop earrings Brooke had handed her in her ears and then slipping the long gold beaded necklace over her head.

"So, do I look devastating or what?" Brooke said as she admired herself in the vanity mirror.

She was wearing a short dark green satin strapless dress with a bubble hem that really brought out the color of her eyes. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek fashionable pony tail and she'd given her eyes the same smoky look as Haley's. Her long silver drop earrings sparkled in the light. She looked beautiful, but Haley could see how sad her eyes were.

"You look stunning, Tigger," Haley said, standing up and giving her a hug. "You're right, the boys won't know what hit them."

"Great!" Brooke said, grabbing her lip gloss and cell phone to carefully tuck them into her strapless bra. "We need to get down stairs. The limo should be here any minute."

"You didn't call for a limo…"

"If we're going to go out," Brooke said as Haley locked the door behind them and then tucked the key into her bra. "Then we're going out in style. Haley James can't arrive at a club in some tacky cab."

"Whatever you say, Brooke," Haley said, shaking her head as they made their way into the elevator. "Whatever you say."

…

"Jake, I really don't feel like going out tonight," Nathan said for what felt like the millionth time.

"And I told you that I don't care," Jake replied, checking out his hair in Nathan's bathroom mirror. "You haven't really been seen out in public other than at the gym for the last few months. A little publicity would be really good for you."

"Come on, Nate," Jake's girlfriend, Peyton, said as she walked into the room and took a seat on Nathan's king size bed. "You've been totally boring lately."

"How do you two always do this?" Nathan said as he thumbed through the shirts in his closet, knowing that he'd already lost the battle and would be going out with them. "You come to my house. Eat my food. Drink my beer. Use my hair gel and then I end up doing exactly what you want me to do."

"I think it's because we're awesome," Jake said with a cocky grin, coming out of the bathroom. "Do you think it's because we're awesome, Peyton?"

"Oh, it's definitely because we're awesome," Peyton replied.

"No," Nathan said, grabbing a royal blue polo off its hanger. "It's because you two are a couple pains in my ass and doing what you want me to is the best way to get you off my back."

Nathan pulled the white t-shirt he'd been wearing over his head and pulled on the polo. Jake and Peyton were arguably his closest friends. Jake had been his agent for the last four years after his first agent had retired. They'd almost immediately clicked and then Jake had started bringing Peyton along. She was probably the only girl Nathan knew that he hadn't slept with at some point or another. She was a tall, leggy blonde, completely his type, but she'd always seemed more like a friend. Besides, she was dating his agent and he really didn't want to have to try to replace Jake.

Jake and Peyton were constantly trying to get him to go places and do things with them. He knew that they had to go on dates and whatever by themselves, but for some reason they were constantly inviting him to go with them. At first he was suspicious, thinking that they just wanted him because he was Nathan Scott and being with him got them on every VIP list for every restaurant or club in the city. Then he started to realize that they were just trying to be his friends. Before his accident, they rarely let him sit home alone on a Friday or Saturday night when he didn't have a game. After his accident they were more than willing to come over with pizza, beer and a movie to just hang out.

He'd never had real friends before the two of them. Sure, he'd had his best friend Tim back in Tree Hill, but they hadn't even tried to stay friends after he'd gotten drafted. He'd had groupies and lackeys back in Tree Hill, people who wanted to be around him because he was _Nathan Scott_, the best basketball player Tree Hill had ever seen. Then Jake and Peyton had come along. Sure, they could be a couple of pains in his ass every now and then, but he wouldn't trade them and the genuine friendship they offered him for anything.

"Hey," Peyton called, crossing her legs and taking a sip of the beer she'd pilfered from Nathan's fridge. "Have you been listening to anything we've been saying?"

"Nah," Jake said, coming out of the bathroom and taking a seat next to his girlfriend. "I bet he was thinking about Haley James. They had a date yesterday, you know."

"It wasn't a date," Nathan said, grabbing his favorite pair of sneakers off the shelf in his closet and walking back out into the bedroom. He wasn't sure if he was actually allowed to, but he'd been trying to keep off his crutches as much as possible. He'd go short trips without them like around just one room in his house. They were leaning against the wall next to the door if he needed them, but his leg was actually feeling pretty good.

"Sure," Peyton said teasingly. "Which is why you had that goofy grin on your face all day yesterday. Oh look, Jake, there it is again."

"Will you two shut up already?" he said, trying to hide the reddening of his cheeks. "It wasn't a date. I barely know her."

"Well, isn't the point of a date to get to know someone?" Peyton said and then took another sip of her beer.

Nathan glared at her as he sank down into the black leather arm chair across from his bed to put on his sneakers. He really didn't want to think of his lunches with Haley over the last few weeks as dates, mostly because that's not what he would want his first date with her to be like. Haley James deserved to be taken somewhere romantic and given flowers and given a goodnight kiss at the end of the night. Not that he'd really thought about going out on a date with her or anything. Nathan Scott did not date. He met random women at clubs, slept with them, and then sent them on their merry way. He did not date, especially girls like Haley James.

"So, are we going or what?" he said after he finished tying the laces on his sneakers.

"Yeah," Peyton said, standing up. "I think I'm ready to dance. How about you Jakey?"

"Anything for you, baby," he said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close to place a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

"Come on you two," Nathan said, walking over to the door to grab his crutches. He definitely wasn't ready to try to get down the stairs without them. Jake had already had Nathan's black Escalade brought around so that it was waiting for them in front of the house with the driver inside ready and waiting. Nathan usually drove himself places, but after his accident he hadn't been able to and having a driver had become a necessity. It came in handy though, especially on nights when he went clubbing. He always had a designated driver.

…

"Martini," Haley said to the bartender, slipping a twenty out of her bra and placing it on the counter. "Dry with two olives."

"Sure thing," the bartender said, grabbing her money and then turning his back to her to fix her drink.

The club was absolutely packed. The mass of overly perfumed sweating bodies on the dance floor was enough to make her claustrophobic and she'd jumped at the chance to go to the bar and get something to drink. She climbed up onto the bar stool and brushed her bangs out of her eyes as the bar tender turned back around and handed her her drink.

"Haley James?" she heard a voice say and Haley nearly groaned in frustration. Brooke's straightening her hair and the heavy eye makeup had thrown people off enough that they weren't sure whether or not it was her all night and had pretty much left her alone. She turned around on her bar stool and smiled when she saw who was standing behind her.

"Jake, right?" she said and then took a sip of her martini. "You're Nathan's agent."

"Yeah," he said. "You don't really seem like the clubbing type. What are you doing here?"

"I might not be the type," Haley laughed. "But my agent, Brooke, certainly is. She needed a night out and dragged me along with her."

"Oh my god, Jake," a curly headed blond in a brown dress said as she came up next to Jake and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "You didn't tell me that you know Haley James!"

"We just met the other day," Jake said defensively as he wrapped his arm around the blonde's waist. "Haley, this is the girlfriend I told you about, Peyton Sawyer."

"It's really nice to meet you," Peyton said, shaking Haley's hand. "I've got all of your CDs. Oh, god, that makes me sound like some crazy fan girl doesn't it?"

"Just a little bit," Haley laughed. "What do you do?"

"I actually just started my own label," Peyton said. "So, if you ever feel like label shopping…"

"I was wondering what happened to you, Tutor Girl," Brooke said as she came up next to Haley at the bar. "Oh my god! P. Sawyer!"

"B. Davis?" Peyton said, laughing as the two women hugged. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Oh, I just needed a night out," Brooke said, tossing the end of her pony tail over her shoulder as she grabbed Haley's martini and took a sip.

"How do you two know each other?" Haley said with a puzzled frown.

"We went to UCLA together," Brooke said. "We had a couple of classes together. I haven't seen you in ages though."

"Oh," Haley said. "You're _that_ Peyton that Brooke was always talking about!"

"You're not _that _Haley!" Peyton said. "Oh my god, Brooke! You never told me that you know _the _Haley James!"

"Well, back in college I wasn't _the_ anything," Haley laughed.

"Hey, listen," Jake interrupted. "Nathan's here somewhere. You should go say hi."

"Okay," Haley said a little hesitantly as she skillfully pried her martini glass away from Brooke and then made her way up the stairs to the VIP lounge area. She nodded to the bouncer who was guarding the stairs and then slowly started to make her way up. The butterflies in her stomach felt more like flying saucers.

The VIP section was dimly lit like the rest of the club. There was a smaller bar off to Haley's left as she reached the top of the stairs and a row of circular booths in front of her that looked down on the dance floor. Haley didn't immediately see Nathan at first, but her attention was drawn to a table that was surrounded by women. Her eyes widened when she saw that one of the girls was sitting on a man's lap with her lips smashed against his.

Haley felt her martini glass slip through her fingers when the girl left the man's lips and started trailing kisses down his neck, revealing that Nathan Scott was the man she was kissing. Nathan's eyes snapped open at the faint sound of breaking glass and his guilty eyes met hers. He immediately shoved the girl away from him and tried to stand up.

"Haley!" he called as she turned sharply on her heel and practically ran back down the stairs.

"Shit!" he cursed as he made his way out of the booth, pushing girls out of his way. He didn't get much farther than the railing that looked down on the main dance floor when a shooting pain ran down his leg. He grasped the railing with both hands, trying to keep as much weight off his leg as possible, immediately knowing that he'd overdone it that day. He was going to need his crutches to get out of the club. Limping, he slowly made his way back to the table and sent the crowd of girls away with a wave of his hand and a glare.

He'd expected to see Haley run out of the club or something, but instead got quite the eyeful. He watched as she went back to the bar and ordered a couple of shots of what looked like vodka based on the bottle the bartender poured them out of. She downed them quickly and then grabbed the nearest unsuspecting guy and pulled him out onto the dance floor with her. Nathan felt his blood boil in anger when the man's arms wrapped around her while they danced. If he'd thought he could make it down the stairs, he would have gone down and ripped the guy's arm off for the way he tried to innocently grab Haley's ass.

He leaned back against the booth with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring down at them angrily. His scowl deepened when he saw Haley tilt her head back and laugh at something the guy said to her.

"Having a good time?" Jake said as he slid into the booth, pushing a glass of scotch in front of Nathan and grimacing when he saw the look on his face. "I'll take that as a no. Haley's here. I told her to come up and say hi. Have you seen her?"

"I'm getting quite the eyeful right now," Nathan said, gesturing to where Haley was down on the dance floor.

"Oh, god, Nate," Jake said. "What the hell did you do? You didn't have your usual crowd of groupies around you, did you?"

When Nathan didn't answer, Jake groaned in frustration and then downed his own scotch in one large gulp.

"Damn it, Nathan," Jake said running his fingers through his hair. "Let's get out of here before you screw anything else up."

"Fine," Nathan said. "This place sucks ass anyway."

Jake called Nathan's driver to tell him to have the Escalade waiting outside and then helped Nathan to his feet. When Nathan's leg almost buckled beneath him, Jake draped his arm over his shoulders and over to the stairs.

"You're apologizing to her first thing in the morning, just so you know," Jake said as he helped Nathan down the stairs. He caught Peyton's eye from where she was standing over by the bar still talking to Brooke and signaled towards the door.

"Whatever," Nathan grumbled, letting Jake lead him out of the bar and into the waiting SUV. He caught Haley's eye as they skirted the dance floor. She looked him straight in the eye for a moment and then looked away a little guiltily as she turned back into the arms of her dance partner. Nathan's hand curled into a fist again when he saw the guy's hand sneak down to Haley's ass again, but Jake tugged him firmly towards the door. Suddenly, Nathan had had far too much of the club scene for one night and was more than ready to go home.

…

Haley heard the faint noise of someone knocking on her door early the next morning, but tried to ignore it as best she could. She rolled back over beneath her duvet and tried to fall back asleep, but the sound wouldn't go away. Finally, she kicked off the duvet and, grumbling to herself, slipped her feet into her leopard print slippers, finger combed her hair and went to go answer the door. She fumbled sleepily with the locks on the front door and then opened it slowly, instantly wide awake when she saw who was standing on the other side.

"What are you doing here?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest and wishing that she'd worn something a little more substantial than her thin pale blue camisole and matching sleep shorts.

"Jake gave me your address," Nathan said sheepishly, looking down at the dark green carpeting in the hallway rather than at her. "Brooke gave it to Peyton last night and Jake gave it to me."

"That doesn't explain what you're doing here," she replied.

"The doorman saw that article on us in _The Sun_ and let me come up," he said, still not looking at her.

"Stop wasting my time, Nathan, and tell me what you're doing here," she said. "It's not like I'm not supposed to see you at therapy today anyway."

"I wanted to apologize," he said with a heavy sigh. "About last night."

"You know," she said, turning her head and biting her lower lip. "You really don't have anything to apologize for. You didn't do anything wrong. It's not like we're in a relationship and I caught you kissing another girl. I was stupid for getting upset. I know the kind of guy you are and silly me for thinking that a couple of lunches could change you."

"Haley…"

"And to think I defended you," she continued, shaking her head. "Lucas tried to tell me what an asshole you are and I stood up for you. I said that you had probably changed over the last six years and that he needed to give you the benefit of the doubt. But I was wrong. You're just like my ex and nothing you can say or do could really surprise me…"

Nathan cut Haley off by grabbing her face between his hands and pressing his lips against hers. He'd mostly just meant to shut her up, but the moment that his lips touched hers changed everything. He hadn't anticipated how soft her lips would be or how she would sigh just a little bit, creating the perfect opening for him to deepen the kiss. He hadn't anticipated how she would taste, like vanilla and something else he couldn't put his finger on, or how he could get drunk on it.

"Except that," she said after pushing away from him and breaking their kiss. "You probably shouldn't have done that."

"You're probably right," he said, leaning heavily against his crutches.

"And I probably really shouldn't do this," she said and then grasped the soft grey fabric of his sweatshirt tightly between her fingers and pulled him down so that she could press her lips against his.

Haley hadn't anticipated how kissing him would make her feel. She hadn't anticipated the inferno that swept through her veins, making her blood feel like it was singing as her arms came up to wind around his neck. She hadn't anticipated how the musky smell of his aftershave would cause her to completely lose control of her limbs as her legs came up to wrap around his waist when he deepened the kiss again.

Nathan's crutches clattered to the floor as he leaned forward to pin her against the wall. He couldn't support her weight on his own with his weakened leg and he liked this new position with her pressed so tightly against him. She whimpered a little when he broke their kiss, but immediately moaned in pleasure when his lips moved to her neck.

"Well, well," Brooke said. "Looks like you've been holding out on me, Tutor Girl."

"Brooke," Haley gasped, immediately pushing Nathan away and letting her legs slide to the floor.

"Don't stop on my account," Brooke laughed. "I was just wondering what all the banging was. I'll give you two your privacy."

Haley looked down bashfully at the carpet, her cheeks flaming red, as Nathan carefully leaned down and grabbed his crutches. They stood there awkwardly for about a minute before Haley finally got the nerve to look up at him and say something.

"What does this mean, Nathan?" she asked, tugging down the hem of her camisole.

"What do you want it to mean?" he said.

"That you won't be making out with any more random girls," she said, not looking up at him.

"I think I can pretty much guarantee that," he chuckled. "You blow all those other girls away."

"Really?" she said, looking up at him a little shyly.

"Yeah," he said. "Why?"

"It's nothing," she said, shaking her head. "It's just something my ex-boyfriend said. I've never really dated a lot or anything and he just…"

Nathan leaned down and pressed his lips against hers again, far more tenderly than the first two kisses. It was slow and sweet and the smile on her face when he finally pulled away was about as satisfying as scoring the last winning basket at a home game against your biggest rival.

"Haley," he said, reaching up under her chin to tilt her head up so that she looked him fully in the eye. "You're amazing at everything you do. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Well, obviously my horsemanship skills are kind of lacking," she quipped as her fingers once again curled into the fabric of his sweatshirt. "Otherwise we never would have met. So, what does this mean to you?"

"This means I'm going to kiss you a lot," he said, leaning down to press butterfly kisses along her jaw line.

"Nathan!" she said, pushing him away playfully. "We're in the middle of the hallway. People could see us. And I'm being serious. What does this mean to you?"

"This means," he said after a long pause. "That I'm going to take you out on a real date. I'm going to sit across from you at some fancy restaurant and people are going to stare at us and wonder how the hell a guy like me got Haley James to agree to go out with him."

"Sounds perfect," she said and pressed her lips briefly against his. "So, when are we going on this date?"

"Tonight?" he said hopefully and she nodded. "Good. I'll pick you up at eight?"

"Okay," she said, leaning in for one more kiss. "I'll see you at therapy in a couple of hours."

"I don't even get to come inside?"

"Nope," she said with a playful smirk. "I'll see you at eleven."

"See you then," he went to lean in for one last kiss when she shut the door in his face. Nathan stared at the closed door for a minute and then chuckled to himself when he heard Haley nearly scream Brooke's name followed by a jumble of incoherent words. He slowly made his way down the hall towards the elevator and cast one look back at Haley and Brooke's door. He just prayed that he didn't screw things up with her. He usually considered girls like Haley James to be way out of his league. She was the kind of girl you took on dates and took to meet your mother. She was the kind of girl you married. He just hoped that he could be the kind of guy who did those things too.

A/N: There's a nice happy Naley ending to make up for the sad one in last week's chapter. Naley's officially together now, but of course things can't work out perfectly. I see some Nathan/Lucas moments in the coming chapters. I'll also start to resolve the rift between Brooke and Lucas within the next few chapters. Oh, and I kind of changed the timeline for the story. Originally I had things developing between Nathan and Haley much quicker and all of this took place in about a week. Instead, it's happened over three weeks. I tried to change everything to fit the new timeline, but I just want to clear up any confusion in case I missed something.


	6. Today Was a Fairytale

"Nathan," Haley giggled as she felt his arms wrap around her waist as she stepped out onto the pool deck. "What are you doing? We can't do this here. Lucas is going to be out here any second."

"Makes it more fun," he said, pulling her close and pressing his lips to hers.

Haley felt tingles where Nathan's hands rested on the bare skin of her hips that was exposed by her red string bikini. She felt like she was in high school again. He made her feel so alive as his lips slid across hers and he pulled her tightly against his bare chest. Her fingers slowly made their way down his chest to trace his six pack and she smiled into the kiss when she felt him groan against her mouth.

"I'm serious," she said, gently pushing him away. "We can't do this now."

"We just did," he said, kissing her nose and then stepping away from her to go over to the pile of kickboards as Lucas stepped out onto the pool deck. "I'll kiss you later."

Haley's cheeks flushed scarlet and she quickly made her way into the pool so that she wouldn't have to really look Lucas in the eye. She turned an even deeper shade of red when she saw the self-satisfied smirk on Nathan's face as he walked across the pool deck and climbed down into the lane next to hers. Lucas had given them the rule that they weren't allowed to use their crutches during therapy sessions, so Haley was able to get an eyeful of his cocky swagger as he came towards her.

Lucas looked between the two of them suspiciously. Haley knew he was trying to figure out what was going on between her and Nathan, but she really didn't want to talk to him. He hadn't even tried to contact her or Brooke since the other night. Brooke was putting up a good front, but Haley could tell that her friend was hurting. She'd taken down every picture in their apartment with Lucas in it and had thrown them in the garbage. Haley had of course gone behind her and saved them all, figuring Brooke was being a little preemptive, but knew it was all a part of her friend's cleansing process.

"Haley," Lucas said with a puzzled frown. "Are you listening?"

"What?" Haley said, looking up at him. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

"Tutor Girl wasn't paying attention?" Nathan teased.

"Oh, hush you," she said, smiling back at him.

"I told you both to do ten laps," Lucas said, frowning and crossing his arms over his chest.

Haley and Nathan looked at each other and then down to water as a tense silence enveloped the three of them. She could feel Lucas's eyes boring a hole into the top of her head as she stared down at the water. Nathan wordlessly handed her a kickboard and Haley almost immediately turned and kicked off the wall to start her laps. The sooner she got done with those laps, the sooner she could get back to her apartment and start getting ready for her date. She heard a splash behind her as Nathan kicked off the wall as well, but she didn't look back at him, knowing that Lucas was watching them like a hawk.

The ten laps seemed to take forever. There was no stopping to chat with Nathan at the end of each lap with Lucas watching them. The closest they got was exchanging awkward smiles whenever they happened to reach an end of the pool at the same time. He was done before her and Lucas immediately sent him to the locker room. When she got done a few minutes later, Lucas was waiting for her with her towel.

"Thanks," she said, taking the purple and white patterned beach towel from his hand. "I'll see you Friday."

"Haley," Lucas said. "What are you doing?"

"Going to get changed so I can go home," she said, slipping on her flip flops that she'd left next to the lounge chair her towel had been on.

"I mean with Nathan," he said. "What are you doing with him?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business," she said, wrapping the towel a little more firmly around her.

"I told you what an ass he…"

"How's Brooke?" she said, tilting her head to the side and pressing her lips into a thin line.

"That's not fair," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"When you can answer that," she said, starting to make her way towards the locker room. "You can ask me about my relationship with Nathan. I'll see you Friday, Lucas."

"Haley," he said, causing her to stop as she reached the white metal door. "I'm sorry."

"I'm really not the one you should be apologizing to," she said, turning back to look at him. "And just so you know, an apology isn't really what she's looking for."

Haley slipped into the locker room and quickly changed back into her white linen shorts and pale blue t-shirt. She wrapped her damp hair up in a bun and tucked all of her belongings back into her black gym bag. She walked out of the locker room and across the gym purposefully, just to once again be caught unsuspectingly by a pair of strong arms and pulled just out of the view of the glass doors to the gym.

"You have really got to stop doing this," she said, turning in Nathan's arms to wrap her arms around his neck.

"I told you this meant that I would be kissing you a lot," he smirked before lowering his head to hers, kissing her briefly.

"Okay," she said, pushing away from him. "That's enough. We don't want everyone here to grab their camera phones and have our picture end up all over the internet before we've even gone on an official date."

"Hey," he said with a smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. "You're my girl now and I want to show you off."

"Oh, I'm your girl now?" she said teasingly. "That's pretty presumptuous of a guy who hasn't even officially taken me out on a date yet."

"You know you find my confidence charming."

"No, I find your cockiness a complete turn off."

"Haley…" he said.

"Just kidding," she said with a grin and then stood up on her tip toes to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "It's kind of sexy. There's my car. I'll see you at eight."

Nathan watched the sexy sway of her hips as she walked away, knowing she was putting on a bit of a show for him. He couldn't help but smile as he looked at her. There was something about Haley James that he hadn't quite put his finger on yet. She was completely unlike any girl he'd ever known before. He'd only known her for a week and he could already feel himself falling. He wasn't sure what exactly it was that he was falling into, but he wouldn't want to stop it even if he could.

"Nathan," he heard Lucas call just as he was about to walk towards the doors after seeing his SUV pull up outside.

"Hey," Nathan said. "Thanks again for helping me out with this. Do you really think I'll be able to play ball again?"

"Stay away from Haley," Lucas said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What?"

"You heard me," he said. "Stay away from her. She's too good for you."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Nathan said. "Do you honestly think I don't know how far out of my league she is? But for some reason she's willing to take a chance on me and I'm not going to screw that up."

"You better not," Lucas said, frowning.

"Trust me," Nathan said, adjusting the strap of his gym bag on his shoulder. "I won't."

…

"Tutor Girl, if you don't stop squirming I'm going to tie you down to this chair," Brooke said menacingly as she tried to coat Haley's eye lashes with mascara. "God, didn't we just do this last night?"

"Are you sure this dress looks good?" Haley said, trying to get a better view of herself in the mirror.

"The dress is perfect," Brooke said. "Your makeup, however, is going to resemble that of a mime if you don't stop moving!"

Haley sank back against the cushion of the chair and tried not to move as Brooke tried once again to put on her mascara for her. She couldn't remember ever being so nervous for a date. She felt like her skin was the only thing keeping her from flying into pieces. Brooke had managed to get a brand new Chanel dress for her to wear that night. Haley didn't even know how she'd done it, but you really didn't question Brooke Davis's talents when it came to clothes and acquiring them.

The dress was a pale yellow satin halter top with a layer of tulle under the knee length skirt so that it flared out attractively from Haley's hips. Haley was wearing her favorite pair of gold metallic wedges and had a bunch of gold bangles on her wrists, courtesy of Brooke. Brooke had also leant her a pair of gold drop earrings that sparkled in the light from amidst Haley's lose auburn curls. Haley had worried that the earrings would get tangled in her hair, but Brooke had assured her that was the point. Apparently, if your earrings got tangled in your hair, it was an invitation for the guy to touch you when he untangled it for you.

"Do I really look okay?" Haley said after Brooke had finished coating her lips in a shiny gloss with just a slight pink tint.

"You look amazing," Brooke assured her, handing her the tube of lip gloss. "Tuck this in your bra. If this morning is any indication, you're definitely going to need a touch up at some point tonight."

"What if he doesn't show up?" Haley said, fiddling with the bangles on her left wrist.

"He's going to show up," Brooke said. "And everything is going to be perfect. Lord knows one of us needs to get what she wants from a man."

"Oh, Brooke," Haley said, turning to her friend. "I'm so sorry. This is probably just rubbing in…"

"Don't even go there, Tutor Girl," Brooke said, fiddling with Haley's hair. "I'm happy for you."

"What are you doing tonight?" Haley said, turning to look at her friend.

"Peyton's coming over," Brooke replied. "We're gonna catch up and have some good old fashioned girl time. Jake was kind of pissed that I'm stealing her for the night, but P. Sawyer and I haven't hung out in forever."

"It's funny what a small world it can be sometimes," Haley said, turning to look at her reflection again.

"Yeah," Brooke sighed. "Now stand up. We don't want that dress to get wrinkled before you even leave the house."

"Do I really look okay?"

"No, Haley," Brooke said with a laugh. "You look hideous and I'm hoping that Boy Toy runs screaming at the sight of you."

"Brooke…"

"I'm kidding, Hales," Brooke said. "You look beautiful. You're going to completely knock Boy Toy's socks off. Speaking of Boy Toy…"

Haley felt the butterflies in her stomach spread so that if felt like all of her skin was tingling with a strange combination of nerves and anticipation as she heard a knock on the door. She slowly rose to her feet as Brooke scampered out of the room to get the door.

"Ooh," she heard her roommate say after opening the door. "Nice choice, Boy Toy. Tutor Girl! Nathan's here!"

"I picked up on that, Brooke," Haley said, walking out of Brooke's bedroom. "Hi."

"Hi," Nathan said with a grin, holding out the bouquet of yellow roses towards her. "These are for you."

"They're beautiful," Haley said, taking them from him with a smile and then deeply inhaling their sweet fragrance. "Thank you."

"I'll go put those in water for you, Tutor Girl," Brooke said, taking the bouquet from Haley and heading towards the kitchen. "Have fun you two."

"Are you ready to go?" Nathan said.

"Yeah," she said, smiling up at him. "Where are your crutches?"

"I'm trying to do more without them," he said. "It's probably a little soon for me to not use them, but I figure it's okay as long as I'm not in pain. Besides, we're going to dinner, not running a marathon."

"Where are we going for dinner, anyway?"

"It's a surprise," he said, taking her hand and leading her towards the elevator.

"A surprise?" she said with a dubious smile. "How do I know you're not going to take me out to the middle of nowhere and dump my body?"

"I guess you'll just have to trust me," he said with his trademark grin.

"I guess I will," she replied. "So, you clean up well."

"The suit?" he chuckled. "This was all Peyton. She said if I showed up in jeans and sneakers you'd probably slam the door in my face. Well, actually she said Brooke would slam the door in my face. Good thing I listened to her since Brooke answered the door."

"She probably would have," Haley laughed. "Brooke's pretty big on appearances. I think she had me tied to her vanity chair for hours getting me ready for tonight."

"Well, remind me to thank her then," Nathan said as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. "You look really beautiful, Hales."

"Thanks," she said, blushing heavily as Nathan disentangled his hand from hers and then wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side as he led her out of the building. She smelled almost as good as she tasted, like vanilla and honeysuckle, and he inhaled deeply as he lead her out to his waiting Escalade.

"So, are you going to tell me where we're going yet?" she asked as he helped her up into her seat.

"I told you," he said with a grin, griping the edge of the door. "It's a surprise."

…

"How did you know?" Haley said as Nathan opened the door of the SUV for her and helped her down. "This is my favorite restaurant. Other than the diner that is."

"I had Peyton call Brooke," he shrugged, taking her hand in his and then handing the keys to the valet. "I wanted everything to be perfect."

Nathan had pulled up outside of a trendy restaurant that Haley had never thought she would ever frequent until someone had forced her to go there and try their cheeseburgers. It was probably the best cheeseburger she'd ever eaten in her life. Unfortunately, the best burgers in LA couldn't be kept a secret and the place was constantly swarmed with paparazzi because of the A-list celebrities that frequented it. Haley completely considered the food worth the hassle.

"It looks like you can surprise me after all, Nathan Scott," Haley said, smiling up at him as camera flashes started going off around them. "And there's the paparazzi."

"That's okay," he said softly into her ear. "I want to show off my girl."

"Hey," Haley said, playfully pushing away from him. "First date, remember?"

Nathan just laughed and pulled Haley closer to his side as they smiled for the cameras. He could hear the gasps and whispers of the paparazzi from behind their cameras as his hand came down to rest at the small of her back. He could tell they were causing some sort of media frenzy. It would be the second time in a week that the usual private Haley James would be in the tabloids. He supposed that it would be news no matter who she went out with, but he felt kind of guilty over the stir that her being seen with him was causing. He'd never been discreet about his affairs and, suddenly, all of his past flings with various women were something he was no longer proud of. There was something about the petite woman next to him with the huge brown eyes that stared straight into his soul that made him want to be different.

The restaurant was fairly crowded when they finally got past all of the photographers and through the glass doors. Nathan had never been there before, but Hailey was obviously a regular by the way the maitre d. It felt more like a sports bar or family type restaurant than five star dining, but it was obviously still a 'coat and tie' kind of place based on the way everyone else was dressed. He and Haley were led to a red leather circular booth in the corner to give them a little more privacy and Nathan could see why she liked the place so much.

It was a fairly small restaurant as far as he could tell. He guessed that there were probably doors to private dining rooms hidden in the mahogany paneling along the walls, but it seemed like it was just the one medium sized room with a large square shaped bar in the middle. Around the bar was a sprinkling of small white clothed tables along each side and then all four walls were lined with burgundy leather circular booths like the one he was sitting at with Haley.

"So," he said, opening the large menu. "What's good?"

"What's not good would be easier," Haley laughed.

"Okay, what's not good?"

"Nothing," she said with a cheeky grin. "But their cheeseburgers are to die for."

"Aren't the cheeseburgers only on the kids' menu?" he said.

"That doesn't mean they're not phenomenal," Haley said defensively.

"First macaroni and cheese and now cheeseburgers," Nathan laughed. "Do you actually eat any grown up food?"

"And what do you define as 'grown up food' Mr. Hot Shot NBA player?" she said playfully.

"I don't know," he shrugged, looking back down at the menu. "Prime rib?"

Nathan looked up at Haley when she didn't say anything and stared at her incredulously when he saw her grimace.

"You can't honestly tell me that you don't like prime rib?" he said. "Now that, is the food of the gods."

"I just never developed a taste for it," she shrugged. "I'm not really a big meat eater."

"You like cheeseburgers," he pointed out.

"They're the exception, not the rule," she said.

"You are one strange girl, Haley James," he said, laughing and shaking his head.

"You're calling me strange?" she said, pretending to be hurt. "Is that honestly how you treat a girl on the first date?"

"Haley," he said, reaching for her hand. "I didn't mean it as…"

"I was kidding, Nathan," she laughed. "You should have seen the look on your face."

Nathan glared at her playfully as the waiter came over to them to take their orders.

"I can see why this is your favorite restaurant," Nathan said as he handed the waiter their menus. "You can order a cheeseburger and macaroni and cheese all at the same time."

"Oh, hush you," Haley said and then took a sip of her water.

Nathan felt his breath catch in his throat when Haley smiled at him. There was something about the way she crinkled her nose when she grinned that made his heart start to race. She had the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. Everything about her was beautiful and it scared him a little bit. She scared him, probably more than anything ever had before in his life. More than waiting to see if he was going to get drafted. More than not knowing if he was ever going to play basketball again. But it was a good kind of fear. It was the kind of fear that made you feel alive.

…

"So, do you still talk to Lucas at all?" Peyton asked and then took a sip of her beer.

Brooke exhaled heavily and then propped her feet up on the glass topped coffee table. It had been two days since her disastrous 'non-date' with Lucas and they hadn't spoken since he'd shown up at their door and she'd told him that she couldn't do it anymore. She took a sip of her martini and then angled her body so that she was better facing Peyton.

"Not lately," she said finally. "We… We kind of had a fight."

"What about?" Peyton said. "You two were kind of attached at the hip back in college."

"Yeah," Brooke said. "You know how you always said that we were going to end up together? Well, that's not going to happen and I just couldn't do it anymore."

"Brooke…" Peyton said, setting her beer down on the coffee table and wrapping her arms around her friend. "I'm so sorry. I always thought he felt the same way."

"I did too," Brooke shrugged, trying her best to keep her tears from falling. "At least I hoped so anyway."

"It'll be okay, B. Davis," Peyton said, rubbing Brooke's back soothingly.

"I'm fine," Brooke said, brushing the few tears that had fallen from her cheeks. "At least, I will be at any rate. So, who was that cutie who was with you at that club last night?"

"That would be Jake," Peyton said, grabbing her beer. "My boyfriend."

"P. Sawyer does monogamy?" Brooke said, playfully shoving Peyton's shoulder. "Who could have seen that coming?"

"Hey!" Peyton said defensively. "I did monogamous relationships back in college!"

"Who are you kidding, Goldilocks?" Brooke said. "You didn't do relationships. You did a string of one night stands."

"Says the queen of one night stands," Peyton laughed. "I think your record with a guy was three dates."

"Well," Brooke said, brushing her bangs away from her eyes and then taking another sip of her martini. "That was because only guy I was interested in having a monogamous relationship with wouldn't give me the time of day. Not the kind of time I wanted anyway."

"It's gonna be okay, Brooke," Peyton said. "You know, we could always go egg his car. That was always fun."

"It was," Brooke said with a slightly devious smile. "I think Haley just picked up another carton of eggs too. Let's go."

"God," Peyton said as she and Brooke made their way into the kitchen and grabbed the blue Styrofoam container out of the fridge. "We haven't done this since we were what? Twenty two?"

"Can you believe that was only two years ago?" Brooke laughed. "How can I be so young and feel so old?"

"I feel the same way, B. Davis," Peyton said, wrapping her arm around her friend's shoulders as they made their way out of the apartment. "Now come on. Let's go get you some revenge."

A/N: So, I must say that I was a little disappointed by the lack of reviews for the last chapter. I can see that ya'll are reading by the number of hits, but I really want to hear what ya'll think. If you liked it, then great, tell me what you liked. If you hated it, well, don't say that you hated it, but tell me what you would like to see change. So, here's the deal. This chapter is actually broken up into two pieces. Nathan and Haley's first date was originally going to be just one chapter, but it grew. However, if I determine that there is enough demand, I'll go ahead and post the next second part later this week as well as post another chapter next Monday as usual. Thank you to everyone who did review the last chapter. I always appreciate hearing from ya'll.


	7. Fallin' For You

"I had a really great time tonight, Nathan," Haley said as Nathan pulled the car up to the curb outside of her apartment building.

"Me too," he said, shifting the car into park.

"So," she said, staring down at her hands that were clenched tightly in her lap. "What does this mean?"

"Huh?"

"I mean," she said, turning to look out her window. "We've only known each other a couple of weeks and I don't know what to make of this. I guess I just know what you want from me."

"Hales," Nathan said, reaching over to take her hand as she turned to look at him. "I've never done anything like this before. I've never met anyone like you before. So, this is all pretty new to me and I don't really know what I'm doing. But I do know that I've never felt like this about anyone before. Yeah, we've only known each other a couple of weeks, but that's kind of a new record for me. You make me different, Haley James."

"Would you like to come upstairs?" Haley said after a pregnant pause.

"Yeah," he said, shifting the car back into drive so that he could drive into the parking garage attached to Haley's building. "I would."

…

"So, which one is Lucas's car?" Peyton said as she and Brooke crept into the parking garage. It was kind of creepy at night with most of the light coming from the street lights outside and giving everything an orange glow.

"The dark red mustang," Brooke said, pointing at the car with one hand and reaching into the open egg carton Peyton was holding to grab an egg.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Peyton asked. "He may figure that it was you."

"I don't care," Brooke said as they got closer to the car. "I need to do this."

She looked down at the smooth white egg in her hand and weighed it carefully in her palm. She and Peyton had egged lots of boys' cars back in college. Whenever one of them went through a breakup, it was their standard revenge tactic. It was one of the reasons she loved Peyton. Haley would never have been willing to do this with her. Haley had loosened up a lot since high school, but she was still Tutor Girl. She was still far too good for her own good, in Brooke's opinion anyway. Peyton was willing to do things that Haley would never have been able to.

As she prepared to throw the first egg, it struck her what she was about to do. She was going to egg _Lucas's_ car. Lucas, the guy who'd been there for her through everything for almost six years. He'd been a good friend to her for so long. Could she really do this to the guy who'd picked her up without asking questions after that disastrous party that she'd purposely not invited him to when she'd been a sophomore in college? Could she do this to the guy who'd held back her hair every time she'd gotten too wasted at a party and spent the night puking her guts up?

Then she thought about sitting there across the table from him that night when he'd completely ignored her. She thought about how clueless he'd been as to why she was so upset with him. She thought about all of the times he'd flirted with her and led her on. The way she'd felt that night didn't erase everything he'd done for her over the years, but it fueled her anger enough for her to throw the egg. She watched as the shell shattered and the yellow yolk splattered all over the back window.

"What are you girls doing?" a voice said, causing Peyton to drop the eggs and have them splatter at their feet.

Brooke and Peyton turned to face a blue shirted security guard who had his flashlight spotlighting them.

"I think you two better come with me," he said, coming over to them and taking them each by the arm as he led them into the building.

"I'm sorry," Brooke mouthed at Peyton over the guard's shoulder.

"Don't be," Peyton mouthed back.

The security guard led them to his office on the first floor of the building and ran Lucas's license plate number through his computer to find what apartment he lived in. Brooke and Peyton sat there in uncomfortable black plastic chairs staring down at the floor as the guard lectured them and told them they better pray that 'Mr. Scott' didn't press charges. He finally left to go get Lucas and Brooke sighed heavily as they listened to him lock them in the room.

"I'm really sorry about this, Peyton," she said. "It's all my fault."

"I'm the one who suggested it," Peyton shrugged. "I'm the one who should be sorry."

"But I'm the one who had the problem in the first place," Brooke said.

"B. Davis," Peyton chuckled. "Why don't we just agree that we're equally at fault? Besides, I highly doubt Lucas will press charges."

"Yeah," Brooke sighed. "Probably not."

They sat there in silence for about five minutes when they heard the jingling of keys on the other side of the door.

"I caught them red handed, Mr. Scott," the security guard said, opening the door.

Brooke stared straight down at the carpet as the door opened. She clenched her hands tightly together as she heard Lucas and the security guard walk into the room.

"Brooke," she heard him say quietly and she slowly looked up at him.

She could feel the tears coming when she looked up and her eyes met his. His usually clear blue eyes were a stormy mixture of hurt, anger and betrayal. He stood there wearing the plaid pajama pants she'd gotten him for his birthday and the UCLA t-shirt she loved to steal and she felt her heart break all over again.

"Why, Brooke?" he asked as she turned to look back down at the dark green carpet.

"You still don't get it," she said finally, not looking up at him. "What do I have to do to get your attention, Lucas? Why am I not enough for you?"

"Can you give us a little privacy please?" Lucas said to the security guard.

"Do you want to press charges?" the balding middle aged man asked.

"No," Lucas said. "That won't be necessary. You can go too, Peyton. Brooke and I need to talk alone."

"I'm really sorry, Luke," Peyton said as she stood up and slipped past him out of the room.

Lucas nodded and then moved to sit down in the chair Peyton had just vacated. He leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees as the security guard slowly closed the door. They sat there in silence, not looking at one another for a few minutes, before Lucas finally turned his chair to face her.

"What do you mean why are you not good enough for me?" he asked with a puzzled frown.

"Can I just go home, Lucas?" she said, turning to look away from him. "I'm sorry. What I did was stupid and childish and I'm sorry. So, can I leave now?"

"Why'd you do it?" he said. "I don't get it, Brooke. Why?"

"Because I love you," she said as tears started streaming down her cheeks. "Because I love you and I know you're never going to love me back the way I want you to."

"Oh," he said.

Brooke rose to her feet and stared at him incredulously for a moment and then ran out of office and into Peyton's waiting arms.

"Come on, Brooke," Peyton said, wrapping her arm around Brooke's shoulders and leading her out of the building. "Let's get you home."

Lucas sat there numbly for a minute, still processing what Brooke had just told him. He'd been in love with her probably since the first moment he'd met her. There'd been something about her that drew him to her like a moth to a flame. He'd never dreamed she could feel the same way about him. He didn't seem like her usual type. He'd watched her go from guy to guy, all of whom had been rich and able to shower her with presents all the time. Lucas didn't have two nickels to rub together. He'd given up on her ever feeling the same way about him.

It finally hit him that Brooke Davis, the girl of his dreams, had just declared her love for him and he was instantly out of his chair and running into the lobby of his apartment building.

"Brooke!" he yelled as soon as he stepped out of the office, but she was nowhere in sight.

"They just got into a cab," the security guard said. "Sorry, Mr. Scott, but you just missed her."

…

"So, this is Haley's James's apartment," Nathan said as Haley opened the door and they walked into the apartment. "I have to say, it's not really what I expected."

"Just because you live in something that was featured on Cribs, doesn't mean we all do," Haley said, closing the door behind them. "Brooke and I got this place right after we graduated college. She was only an intern at the time and I was still waiting tables by day and playing in any bar that would have me at night."

"So, why haven't you moved?" he asked.

"This was the first home Brooke or I had in a while," she shrugged as they walked into the living room and took seats next to each other on the sectional. We've talked about getting our own places or my buying a house or something, but this is home right now. As small as it seems some days, neither one of us really want to leave it."

"It's nice," he said. "That TV is pretty sweet."

"Yeah," Haley chuckled as he gestured to the gigantic plasma screen TV that was mounted on the wall. "Brooke picked that out the other day. Lucas picked out our last TV and she decided we needed something bigger and better. I don't know. It seems kind of silly to me. It's not like we're ever really home to watch it."

"I bet basketball looks really sweet on this TV," he said, reaching for the remote.

"I didn't invite you up here so that you could watch my television," Haley said, leaning forward and smacking his hand away. "Seriously, Nathan, what do you see happening with us?"

"We can't just wait and see what happens?" he said with a frown.

"I don't know if I can do that," she said, looking down at her lap.

"I didn't think so," he chuckled. "What I see happening with us is me taking you out to dinner again, or just us going out in general. And maybe us just staying in and watching a movie on this kickass TV. Oh, and I see kissing, lots of kissing."

"That sounds nice," Haley said, leaning towards him and tilting her face up towards his.

Nathan immediately closed the gap between them and pressed his lips against hers. He watched her eyes fluttered closed and smiled into their kiss. She was so damn beautiful. It almost hurt to look at her. She sighed into the kiss and his eyes closed as he deepened it. He could get drunk off her taste.

Haley loved the feeling of Nathan's lips against hers. She'd never dreamed kissing could be like that. She didn't have a ton of experience with guys. She'd spent most of her life being Tutor Girl. She hadn't dated at all in high school and not very much in college. She'd just never found the right guy. Damien West obviously hadn't been the one for her. She knew Nathan Scott shouldn't be the right guy, but there was something about the way his lips slid over hers. There was something about the way he tasted, like mint with a hint of the scotch he'd had when they'd first gotten to the restaurant and something unique that she could only describe as _him_.

Nathan groaned as Haley pulled away from their kiss. Haley however, obviously wasn't finished with him. She grinned at him a little bit devilishly and then moved to sit across his lap with her legs stretched out across the sofa. Nathan moaned as she pressed her chest against his and then kissed him deeply. Nathan wanted his hands to be everywhere at once, but he settled them on the small of her back.

It was Haley's turn to moan as Nathan's lips left hers and started to trail hot wet kisses along her neck. Her skin felt like it was on fire everywhere his lips touched. Her hands came up to run her fingers through his hair and then grip it tightly, holding him against her. He nipped lightly at the skin at the base of her neck, leaving a mark on her in a place he knew would be hard for her to cover up. She pulled his face up gently so that she could press her lips against his again and then he finally broke away from her.

"We need to stop," he panted, resting his forehead against hers.

"Why?" she asked and then nibbled lightly on his ear lobe.

"Because we need to stop while I still can," he chuckled as Haley pulled back away from him.

"You really are a much better guy than you give yourself credit for, Nathan Scott," Haley said as she snuggled closer to him, tucking her head beneath his chin. She didn't stop Nathan that time as he reached forward for the remote control and turned the TV on. She didn't even complain when he turned on ESPN. She liked being there cuddled up against him.

"Nathan," Haley said after a few minutes. "We should probably talk about last night."

"Haley…"

"I'm serious," she said. "If we're going to do this… Whatever this is… I need to know that last night isn't going to happen again."

"Hales," Nathan said with a heavy sigh. "I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of over the years, especially when it comes to women. Last night was pretty mild for me, for the person I used to be. But lately, ever since I met you, I haven't wanted to do those things anymore. I haven't wanted to be that guy and that scares me. Last night, I was just trying to see if I could still do it and I found out I can't. I was miserable because all I could think about was you and how disappointed you would be in me if you saw. Then you did."

"Then I did," she said, pressing her lips together tightly. "You were really thinking about me the whole time?"

"It seems like all I ever think about is you."

"God, you're so sexy when you talk like that," Haley said and then kissed him.

"Haley!" Peyton called as she opened the door.

"We're in the living room," Haley called back.

"Oh, Brooke," Haley said when Peyton and Brooke came to the doorway. "What happened?"

Brooke was standing there with her makeup smeared all over her face from crying. She wasn't crying anymore, but her face was the picture of pure misery. Haley's heart instantly broke for her friend.

"She told Lucas that she loves him," Peyton said.

"Come on, Tigger," Haley said, climbing off Nathan's lap and going to wrap an arm around her friend. She shot Nathan an apologetic look as she and Peyton led Brooke back to her bedroom and helped her get changed into her pajamas. They sat with her until they were sure she was asleep and then made their way into the kitchen.

"What happened?" Haley asked, leaning against the kitchen island.

"We went to go egg Lucas's car," Peyton explained, leaning against the opposite side of the island. "We used to do it all the time in college whenever things went badly with a guy and I thought it would help her feel better, but we got caught. The security guard caught us after she threw the first egg. He went and got Lucas and she told him that she loved him."

"What did he say?" Haley asked with a frown.

"Oh," Peyton said. "All he said was 'oh.' Brooke was a mess. I got her out of there as soon as I could."

"I really thought he was in love with her," Haley said, brushing a stray lock of hair back away from her face. "I could tell from the first time I saw them together that they liked each other."

"We all thought he loved her," Peyton said. "I wouldn't have encouraged her all this time if I hadn't thought it was true. What should we do?"

"I guess we should just let her sleep for tonight," Haley sighed. "I'll talk to her in the morning. Maybe we should take her shopping or something. That always makes her feel better."

"Good idea," Peyton said. "What time?"

"Around ten?"

"I'll see you then," Peyton said, grabbing her purse from where she'd left it on the kitchen counter hours before. "Bye, Nate. I'll see you later."

Haley sighed heavily and then made her way back to the living room.

"You're still here?" she said with surprise when she saw Nathan still sitting out the couch.

"Of course," he said with a smile. "I wouldn't leave without my goodnight kiss."

"I'm sorry about that," Haley said, retaking her seat on his lap.

"Don't be," he said, kissing the top of her head. "You were being a good friend. Believe it or not, that's kind of sexy."

"Sexy, huh?" she said with a smirk as she moved to press her lips against his.

"Very sexy," he murmured against her lips after breaking their kiss. "But I should probably get going."

"You're probably right," Haley said and the pressed her lips briefly against his.

"When can I see you again?" he asked as she moved off his lap and they both stood up.

"You'll see me in therapy on Friday," she said.

"I mean outside of therapy," he said.

"Well," she said, putting one finger to her chin in the thoughtful pose. "I don't know. I'll have to check with my other boy…"

Nathan cut Haley off by pressing his lips possessively against hers. He felt her sigh into the kiss and pulled back at just the moment where he knew she was expecting him to deepen it.

"No other boyfriends," he nearly growled against her lips. "Just me."

"You think you're my boyfriend now, Nathan Scott?" she said teasingly, crinkling her nose as she smiled up at him.

"I'd like to be," he said seriously. "I know we haven't known each other very long, Haley, but I can promise you that I've never felt like this about anyone before."

"So, would that make me your girlfriend?" she said, twirling an auburn curl around her finger.

"Haley…"

"What would being Nathan Scott's girlfriend entail?" she asked. "I mean, I really should know what I'm getting myself into."

"Well," he said, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist. "You would have to keep doing therapy with me. And then when I go back to the NBA, you'd have to be at just about all of my games. Oh, and you'd probably have to come to practice every now and then. That's a big thing with some of the girlfriends."

"Sounds like a lot of work," she frowned. "I'm not sure if I…"

Nathan cut Haley off again by kissing her. He smiled as she sighed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pressed her tightly against him and deepened the kiss, causing her to moan a little in pleasure. Finally, he pulled away when air started becoming an issue.

"So, are you my girlfriend, Haley James?" he asked, pressing his forehead against hers.

"I don't know," she said with a teasing grin. "I haven't been asked to be yet."

"Will you be my girlfriend, Haley James?" he amended.

"Yes," she replied and then kissed him again.

They kissed a few more times and then finally said goodnight. Haley sighed blissfully as she locked the door to the apartment and then made her way back into her bedroom. She changed into her pajamas and carefully hung the dress up in her closet before going into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.

Haley frowned and then chuckled a little to herself when she saw the pronounced hickey Nathan had left at the base of her neck. She was Nathan Scott's girlfriend. It seemed too weird to be true. She'd only known him a week and all but hated him for most of it. But there she was, her lips swollen from his kisses with an obvious mark on her collar bone. It was like something out of a fairy tale. But then again, fairy tale princesses didn't get hickeys.

A/N: Wow! I was shocked by all of the reviews for the last chapter! Thanks ya'll! I'm glad to know that ya'll are enjoying the story as much as I am. I know Lucas seems like a total jerk right now, but he starts to come around soon and he and Brooke will both settle back into more minor roles. Oh, and it's poll time. I can't really decide. How do ya'll feel about Chris Keller being part of the story? I was originally going to have him be a part of it, but now I'm not so sure. So, what do ya'll think? Vote Yes or No and whichever side ends up with the most will be how the story goes. The overall outcome of the story will be the same no matter what.


	8. I and Love and You

"Hey, Baby," Haley said, pressing the phone against her ear as she slipping into the back seat of the town car. "What's up?"

Haley moved her legs so that her driver could shut the door behind her and adjusted the skirt of her knee length red dress. She'd gone ahead and dressed for her lunch date with Nathan even though she was on her way to the salon. The stylist for her album cover photo shoot wanted to change her look and she'd agreed to go in a day early to get her hair styled.

"I'm gonna miss you at therapy today," Nathan said, turning his Escalade into a parking spot in the parking garage next to Lucas's gym. "It's gonna be weird without you."

"I'm sure you and Lucas will be fine," she laughed. "He said on Friday that you were going to do some stuff on the basketball court today. I wouldn't be any help there anyway."

"That doesn't mean I don't want you there," he said, shifting the SUV into park and turning it off. "You could be my own personal cheerleader."

"You've been talking to Brooke! Please tell me she didn't show you pictures."

"You got home right before she was about to bust out her old yearbook," he said, grabbing his gym bag off the passenger's seat. "Do you still have the uniform?"

"I'm not going to answer that," Haley replied.

"I'll take that as a yes," Nathan said, smirking. "Are you really sure you can't be here today?"

"You'll be fine," she said, holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she buckled her seatbelt. "I'll see you this afternoon."

"Okay," Nathan grumbled. "See you soon."

"Bye, Nate," Haley laughed and then hung up the phone after Nathan had said goodbye as well.

It had been two months since Nathan and Haley had officially started dating, two blissful months in Haley's opinion. They'd started off their relationship fast and then slowed down, taking their time with their relationship. They went out to dinner, sometimes by themselves and sometimes with Jake and Peyton. They hung out at her apartment or his mansion, watching movies or just hanging out. They hadn't said 'I love you' yet. But, Haley was okay with that. It was all a part of taking things slow and when Nathan finally told her that he loved her, Haley was going to be absolutely sure that he meant it.

…

Nathan was more than a little nervous as he made his way into the gym. He'd never spent any 'alone' time with Lucas. No one had ever allowed them to be in the same room together without supervision since they'd gotten into a fight in the locker room back when they were in high school. Their coach, Whitey, had barely ever let them within five feet of each other unless they were on the basketball court.

"You're late," Lucas said as Nathan came in through the swinging glass doors.

"By like a minute," Nathan scoffed, shifting his gym bag on his shoulder. "Cut me some slack."

"Whatever," Lucas said. "Go get changed and meet me on the basketball court in ten minutes. It's time we start working towards you getting your game back."

"Fine," Nathan said and then turned to head towards the locker room. That wasn't the greatest start imaginable to their first session without Haley acting as a buffer between the two of them, but it wasn't the worst that could have happened.

He quickly changed into his favorite red basketball shorts and a grey t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and stashed his bag in his usual locker. After making sure the laces on his shoes were securely knotted, he made his way across the gym to where the indoor basketball courts were located.

Lucas was already on the court bouncing a basketball and Nathan watched as he easily sunk a three point shot. He hung back for a minute and watched Lucas play before making his presence known by loudly closing the door behind him.

"Why'd you quit?" Nathan asked, making his way across the room to where Lucas was standing bouncing a ball. "My mom said you were supposed to play for Duke. What happened?"

"I found out that I have HCM right before summer training," Lucas shrugged and then sunk another three-pointer. "I had to go have a physical done before I could play and they ran the test because of our family medical history."

"That sucks, man," Nathan said, grabbing a basketball off the rack at the edge of the court.

"Yeah," Lucas replied, moving to get the ball he'd just shot. "You got the dad, I got the disease. Go figure."

Nathan's jaw tightened and he looked down at the ball in his hands. Lucas obviously considered him to be the lucky one in their situation and, sometimes, Nathan considered himself to be pretty lucky too. But then he remembered the days of his father hounding him constantly. He remembered the time he'd taken drugs to try to improve his game and be good enough in Dan Scott's eyes.

"I'd trade places with you," he said after bouncing the ball in his hands a few times.

"What?"

"I'd trade places with you," Nathan repeated and then shot the ball, wincing when it hit the rim and then fell to the left of the basket. "Believe me, I would give up basketball to not be known as Dan Scott's son."

"Why?" Lucas asked with a puzzled frown. "You have everything. Why would you be willing to give it up?"

"No," Nathan said. "Before Haley, all I had was basketball."

"But you love basketball."

"Yeah," Nathan shrugged and then caught the ball Lucas tossed him before trying another shot. "But I never had a chance to love anything else. Basketball was the only way I could make Dan proud of me. Without it, I was pretty worthless in his opinion."

Nathan smirked a little sadly when his second shot went in and then caught the next ball Lucas threw him. He moved to a different spot on the court and tried to shoot from the new position. The ball bounced off the backboard and then circled the rim a few times before finally going in. Lucas continued feeding Nathan the ball as he moved around the court and tried to shoot from different positions.

"You ready to try for a layup?" Lucas asked.

"Maybe not today," Nathan said, bouncing the ball Lucas had just tossed him.

"Afraid you can't jump anymore?"

"There's that," Nathan shrugged. "And the fear of what it's going to feel like coming down."

"Don't be such a baby," Lucas scolded playfully. "Come one. You'll never know unless you try."

Nathan glared at him and then dribbled the ball a few more times. He looked up at the basket and then sighed heavily before attempting the layup. He knew as soon as his feet left the ground that he hadn't really tried when he jumped, but he still got the ball in and then hung from the rim for a few seconds before trying to ease his way down. The impact from the short fall was too much and Nathan felt his leg crumble beneath him as soon as his foot touched the polished wood floor.

"You okay, man?" Lucas said, jogging over to Nathan and offering him a hand up.

"Yeah," he said, taking the hand Lucas offered and pulling himself back up on his feet. "I think it was more shock than pain."

"Okay," Lucas said. "You want to try it again?"

Nathan nodded and then chased after the ball. He backed up past the three point line and slowly jogged into the paint and up to the basket. That time he put a little more force behind his jump and easily slammed the ball into the hoop. He hung from the basket for a few seconds again before letting go and dropping to his feet. He'd braced himself for the impact and, although it hurt like hell, he managed to stay standing.

"That was pretty good," Lucas said, tossing him another ball. "But try to do it without hanging there so long this time. You'll never get away with that in the NBA."

Nathan did as he was instructed and smiled when he once again landed on his feet rather than his ass. The more he did it, the less the landing hurt and he started varying his approach towards the basket, coming in from different angles and sinking the ball each time. After practicing for about half an hour, Lucas finally said he could take a break. Nathan took a seat on one of the wooden benches along the wall and took a sip of his water bottle.

"I was always kind of jealous of you, you know," Nathan said as Lucas took a seat next to him. "In some ways I still am."

"That was random," Lucas replied. "Why?"

"Because you got to grow up without Dan," Nathan shrugged, wiping the sweat off his face with his grey hand towel. "Because you found a life after basketball."

"You're going to play again, Nathan," Lucas said. "You're doing really well. And believe me, growing up without a dad wasn't so easy."

"You really don't get it," Nathan chuckled and then took another sip of his water. "You know, when I was ten, Dan coached my little league team. He didn't know shit about baseball, but I couldn't do anything without him. We were about halfway through the season and I was pitcher. There was this kid on the other team. I don't remember his name now, but he could hit pretty much anything you threw at him. So, I walked him. The bases were empty and I figured it was the best thing to do. Dan came out of the dugout and I expected him to tell me what a smart move that was. Instead he comes up and starts screaming at me in front of everyone. Then he kicks me as hard as he can in the ass and takes me out of the game. I sat the bench the rest of the season. That was what it was like every day growing up with Dan Scott. You have no idea how lucky you were to be free of that."

"Wow," Lucas said, leaning forward and resting his elbows against his knees. "That's pretty bad."

"Yeah," Nathan said. "And that's not the worst thing he ever did. It was like that all the time. Nothing I did was ever good enough for him. I was shocked when the Lakers drafted me right out of high school, but I was so glad to be getting away from him. I had wanted to do the whole college thing. I had offers from Georgetown and Duke and a couple other places. But the NBA was my ticket to freedom. So, I took the Lakers' offer and now I don't have anything to fall back on. If I never play again money won't be an issue. I've got enough of that to last me the rest of my life. But I won't have anything to do with my life."

"I never knew how bad you had it," Lucas said.

"Really?" Nathan scoffed. "I would have thought my dad's reaction whenever we lost a game would have given it away."

"I just thought that was a heat of the moment kind of thing," Lucas replied.

"No," Nathan said, looking at his watch and then rising to his feet. "It was more like an all the time kind of thing. Well, I better get going. I'm supposed to meet Haley back at my place and then we're going to lunch."

"Okay," Lucas said, rising to his feet as well. "I'll see you Wednesday."

"Yeah," Nathan said, grabbing his towel and water bottle before heading towards the door. "See you Wednesday."

Lucas gathered up all of the balls he and Nathan had been using and returned them to the rack before making his way back into the main part of the gym and towards his office.

"Mr. Scott," the receptionist said as he walked past the main desk. "Your one o'clock is here."

"I'll be with them in a minute," he said. "I've got a phone call to make first."

He made his way into his office and took a seat in his burgundy leather desk chair. He picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Hey, Keith," he said after the older man had picked up the phone.

"Hey, Luke," Keith replied. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to say thank you," Lucas said, leaning back into his desk chair.

"What for, son?"

"For being such a great dad to me over the years," Lucas said. "I don't think I've ever told you how grateful I am."

"It's been my pleasure," Keith said and Lucas could hear the tears clogging up his voice. "What brought this on?"

"I just," Lucas sighed. "I had a conversation with my brother today and it made me realize how lucky I am."

"You talked to Nathan?" Keith asked.

"It's a long story," Lucas chuckled. "Listen, I've got to go. My next appointment it waiting for me. Give Mom and Lily each a kiss for me?"

"Sure thing," Keith said.

"Oh, and one last thing," Lucas said. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Son," Keith replied.

Lucas said goodbye to Keith and then sighed heavily. He'd been an ass ever since Nathan had come back into his life. He'd pushed Brooke and Haley both away. He hadn't spoken to Brooke since that night she'd been caught egging his car and Haley would only talk about physical therapy with him. He finally realized though that Haley had been right when she'd told him that he needed to start viewing himself as the lucky one. He was lucky. Now he just had to be worthy of it.

…

"Hey, baby," Haley called as she walked into Nathan's house. "I picked up your mail."

She'd seen the black escalade out front and immediately figured that Nathan had gotten done with therapy early and had beaten her back to his place. Instead of ringing the doorbell, she'd gone ahead and let herself in when she'd found that the door was unlocked. The house was quiet, so she figured he was upstairs taking a shower before their lunch date. Haley dropped the mail she'd been sorting for Nathan and screamed when a large dark haired man stepped out of Nathan's living room.

"Little presumptuous of you, don't you think?"

"Who the hell are you?" Haley said, bending down to gather up the mail she'd dropped.

She knew who he was almost as soon as the words left her mouth. Nathan had one or two pictures of himself with his parents in the house. She'd recognized his resemblance to Nathan almost immediately. He'd just taken her by surprise and she hadn't put two and two together right away. He'd obviously dressed to intimidate in his well cut black suit with the faint grey pinstripe, but Haley James refused to be intimated as she slowly stood back up and looked him straight in the eye.

"I think the better question is who are you?" he said. "And why are you just walking into my son's house?"

"Oh," Haley said and then smiled as pleasantly as she could, offering the man her hand to shake. "You must Dan, Nathan's dad. I'm Haley."

"That doesn't explain what you're doing here," Dan said, ignoring her hand.

"I'm Nathan's girlfriend," she said with a puzzled frown. Her relationship with Nathan had been very well documented by the paparazzi. Every date they'd gone on had ended up on the cover of at least one tabloid. Apparently they were the new 'it couple' and everyone was interested in what was going on with them.

"Listen, sweetheart," Dan jeered. "Sleeping with my son once or twice does not make you his girlfriend."

"Nathan and I have been dating for the last two months," Haley said with a frown as she brushed past Dan and made her way towards the kitchen.

"So, you aren't sleeping with him," Dan said, close on Haley's heels.

"That's none of your business," Haley replied, setting Nathan's mail on the counter.

"Well, obviously you aren't if Nathan's still with you after two months," Dan said, leaning against the counter. "He's probably just waiting until you finally give it up and then he'll break up with you."

"Our relationship isn't like that," Haley said, grabbing a water bottle out of the fridge.

"So, what?" Dan scoffed. "You're some sort of gold digger?"

"Obviously you don't know who I am," Haley said, setting her water bottle down on the counter and crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm Haley James. My debut album went triple platinum. I don't need Nathan's money. I have plenty of my own."

"So, you're just in this for your career?" Dan said, leering at her.

"You listen here, Mr. Scott…" she said.

"Haley?" Nathan called as he walked into the house. "Is that you?"

"We're in the kitchen," she called back.

"Who's we?" he asked and then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his father. "What are you doing here, Dan?"

"What?" Dan asked defensively. "A father can't come visit his son?"

"Not when the father's you," Nathan replied, moving to stand next to Haley and wrap his arm around her shoulders. "Seriously, what are you doing here?"

"I heard about your accident," Dan said. "So I came out here to see how you were doing."

"My accident was almost six months ago," Nathan said. "You know what, I don't have time for this now. Come on, Hales. We're gonna miss our reservation. I'll deal with you when I get back, Dan."

Nathan led Haley out of the house and into his waiting Escalade. Haley could see the way his jaw was clenching and unclenching as he opened the passenger side door for her and helped her in. After he had buckled himself into the driver's seat and started the car, Haley reached over and took his hand in hers before he could shift the car into gear.

"Are you okay?" she asked, rubbing soothing circles on the back of his hand with her thumb.

"I'm fine," he said, staring down at the steering wheel.

"Why don't I believe you?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Trust issues?"

"Nathan…"

"I just don't know what he's doing here," Nathan said, frowning. "Let's go and enjoy our lunch. I'll deal with Dan when I get back."

"Okay," she said, giving his hand a squeeze.

He looked over at her and smiled for a second and then frowned in confusion.

"You're blonde," he said.

"Do you not like it?" Haley asked, reaching up with her free hand to touch her hair. "I have that photo shoot for my album soon and the stylist wanted me to be blonde. They were going to get a wig, but I said I would just dye my hair. If you don't like it, I can dye it back after the shoot…"

"No, I like it," he said. "It looks nice. Have I ever told you that I've always had a thing for blondes?"

"So, what?" she teased. "You didn't like my hair when it was auburn?"

"I didn't say that," Nathan said, leaning over to softly kiss her. "I just really like it blonde."

"Nice save, mister," she laughed. "Now come on. We really are going to miss our reservations if we don't hurry. Not that our missing a reservation would be that big of a deal. But I'm hungry."

She gave his hand one last squeeze and then let it go so that he could shift the car into gear. They drove to the restaurant in silence, Nathan obviously lost in his own thoughts. Haley tried to be silently supportive. She took his hand again as they made their way into the restaurant and he immediately let it go so that he could wrap his arm around her waist. She put both of her arms around him so that she could hug him tightly and looked down at their feet rather than at the cameras from the paparazzi flashing around her.

"Come on, Nate," she said after he didn't comment on her ordering macaroni and cheese. "Be here with me."

"I just don't know what he wants," Nathan said, trying to smile at her when she reached across the table to take his hand. "He always wants something. I just don't know what it is this time."

"Maybe he really just wants to see how you're doing," she said, squeezing his hand. "He is your dad, after all."

"Hales," he said. "You've heard about my dad. He doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself. He has to want something."

Haley gave his hand one last squeeze and pressed her lips together in a thin line. She honestly didn't know what to say to him. They were having a late lunch so the airy restaurant was pretty empty as they sat there across from each other at the white clothed table for two in the center of the room. Haley stared down at the small floral arrangement in various shades of green that sat between them on the table, just trying to figure out what it was that Nathan needed to hear.

"I'll stay with you while you talk to your dad," she said. "If you want me to."

"No," he said, slightly shaking his head no and frowning deeply. "No, I don't want you around him. He's not a good guy, Haley."

"But I'd be there for you," she said.

"No," he said again. "I need to handle him on my own. This is my shit to deal with, not yours."

"You're my boyfriend, Nathan Scott," she said with a soft smile. "That means your shit is my shit."

"My dad hurts people, Haley," Nathan said, rubbing his thumb across the back of his hand. "He hurts people and he does it on purpose. I love you too much to subject you to that."

"What did you say?" she said, pulling her hand back away from his.

"That I don't want to let my dad hurt you?" he said nervously.

"No," she said, shaking her head and smiling as her eyes filled with tears. "The other thing you said."

"That I love you?" he said, smiling back and once again taking her hand in his. "I do. I love you, Haley James. If you can't say it back right now, that's okay. I was planning this big romantic evening to tell you. Brooke was helping me. But I've wanted to say it so long, I guess it just…"

"I love you too," she said, cutting him off.

"Really?"

"Of course," she said. "I love you, Nathan. I don't care if your dad's an ass. I want to be there because I love you."

"I don't want to argue with you, Hales," he said. "Not right after telling you I love you. Can you please just accept I don't want my dad near you?"

"Okay," she said, nodding her head.

They finished their meal and Nathan wrapped his arm around her waist as he led her out of the restaurant and back towards his waiting SUV. As they got to the passenger side of the vehicle, he wrapped his other arm around her waist as well and pinned her up against the side, pressing his lips against hers.

Haley's hands immediately went to tangle in his hair as he pressed her against his car. The shiny black metal was hot against the skin of her back that was exposed by her dress, but it wasn't as hot as the inferno that Nathan's touch caused in her veins. His hands were everywhere all at once, at the small of her back, her shoulders, her neck, her hair. Her skin felt like it was on fire everywhere he touched.

"What was that for?" she asked after he broke the kiss for lack of air.

"Because you just told me that you love me," he said, smiling down at her. "And I didn't think you'd want me to do that in the restaurant."

"You're probably right," she said, smiling up at him. "I love you, Nathan Scott."

"I love you too, Haley James," he replied and then softly kissed her. "Now let's get you home."

"Or you could take me back to your place," she suggested. "My car is still there after all."

"Nice try, Hales," he said, kissing the tip of her nose and then opening her door for her. "I'll bring you back your car later."

"Fine," she said with a wry smile as she climbed up into the SUV. "But you can't blame a girl for trying."

Nathan laughed and shut her car door after she'd moved her skirt out of the way. Haley James loved him. It almost seemed too good to be true, but the way she smiled at him as he crossed in front of the SUV seemed to confirm the fact. He'd never thought it was possible to love someone so much. He'd never had a good example of real love in his life. But the sweetly painful squeeze of his heart when she winked at him as he got to the driver's side door made him sure that it was real. Haley James loved him. Suddenly, whatever was about to happen with Dan Scott wasn't so scary.


	9. Action Reaction

"Alright, Dan," Nathan called, walking back into his house. "What exactly is it that you want?"

"A father can't just come visit his son?" Dan said with a smirk as he walked out of Nathan's living room.

"We've already been over this," Nathan said. "Not when that father's you. Seriously, why are you in my house?"

"Can't we at least sit down for this?" Dan asked.

"Fine," Nathan said, gesturing towards the living room. "Let's sit down."

Nathan's living room had dark blue walls and the same black and white marble tile that the rest of first floor. One wall was a picture window entirely made of glass that flooded the room with light when the heavy black curtains weren't drawn. A large television dominated the far wall that was surrounded by an obviously expensive entertainment center. Nathan took a seat in one of the matching black leather armchairs and sat there waiting for Dan to take a seat as well.

"So, how have you been, son?" Dan said after taking a seat on Nathan's black leather couch.

"I'm great," Nathan replied. "Now what do you want?"

"How's your comeback coming?" Dan asked.

"It's coming," Nathan said. "I just started playing basketball again today."

"You should have been playing weeks ago."

"I could barely stand weeks ago," Nathan said, frowning. "Let alone shoot a basket."

"I heard about your relationship with Holly."

"It's Haley," Nathan said. "And what does she have to do with anything?"

"She's not good for you, son," Dan said. "She's a distraction. You need to focus all of your attention on basketball."

"What makes you such an expert on what's good for me?" Nathan scoffed.

"I'm your father," Dan said.

"That doesn't mean shit, Dan," Nathan said.

"She's not good for your game," Dan said. "She'll just be a distraction. If you ever want to play basketball again, you have to get rid of her."

"That's not going to happen," Nathan said.

"Why?" Dan scoffed. "Because you _love_ her or something?"

"Actually," Nathan said, rising to his feet. "I do. I love her and I hate you. So, you can get the hell out of my house."

"I'm just looking out for your best interests," Dan said. "She's going to distract you from your game. She's going to make you weak."

"I'm not weak," Nathan replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're making a huge mistake, son," Dan said. "She's supposed to go on tour in a few months. You think Holly's going to want to stay with you while she's on the road?"

"Haley's not like that," Nathan said. "She loves me too. And if this is all you came to talk about, then you can leave. I'm not going to sit here and listen to you insult my girlfriend."

"She's going to leave you, Nathan," Dan said, rising to his feet as well.

"I don't think so," Nathan said. "Now get out of my house."

"You really are making a mistake," Dan said, making his way towards the door. "You'll be sorry when the whore leaves you."

Nathan felt his hand curl into a fist and wanted nothing more than to give his father a black eye, but somehow he refrained. He stalked out of the living room and threw the front door. Dan looked at him skeptically as he walked past and made his way out to his rented SUV. Nathan crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the door as Dan unlocked the driver's door.

"People always leave, son," Dan said before getting into the car.

"And you never leave soon enough," Nathan mumbled to himself before stepping back into the house and slamming the door behind him.

Nathan sat down on his black leather sofa and sighed heavily, his brain feeling like it was spinning. Haley wouldn't leave him. Haley would never leave him and he wasn't weak. He'd get his game back and prove he wasn't weak. He'd show Dan weak. Nathan wandered back into the kitchen and picked up the phone off the counter. He stared down at the phone in his hand for a minute and then dialed a familiar number.

"Hey, Jack," he said after the person on the other end picked up the phone. "You still dealing?"

…

Haley sat on her bed painting her toe nails her favorite shade of red. She usually went to the salon whenever she wanted a pedicure. Well, it was more like Brooke insisted they go to the salon whenever _she_ wanted a pedicure. But there were some nights when Haley wanted to do it the old fashioned way, like when she was a kid with her sisters, with cute toe separators and making the entire house smell like nail polish remover because you forgot to put the cap back on the top of the bottle.

She'd just finished putting the first coat of red on when she heard someone knock on their door. She debated on whether or not to try to get to the door, but Brooke would totally freak if she got nail polish on their hard wood floors. She figured Brooke was in her room as well, so she decided to call out to her.

"Brooke!" Haley called. "Can you get the door?"

"Sure thing, Tutor Girl," Brooke called back.

Haley heard the door open and then the sound of something crashing to the floor. She heard Brooke curse and then waited to see if she could hear anything else. After about two minutes of silence, she decided that first coat of polish was dry enough for her to risk walking out to see what was going on. She walked out of her room, carefully balancing most of her weight on her heels to be on the safe side, to see Brooke and Lucas kneeling down picking up the pieces of the coffee mug Brooke had dropped. Lucas had his hands cupped together as Brooke carefully laid the large pieces of the mug into his hand.

"Luke?" Haley said, causing them to look up at her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to Brooke," he said, looking at the brunette in front of him hopefully. "That is, if she'll even speak to me. I know I don't deserve it."

"No, you don't," Brooke said, looking up at him as she set the last pieces of the mug in his hands. "But I'll talk to you anyway."

"I'll just go back to my room," Haley said, turning on her heel and making her way back into the safety of her room. She left the door open just a crack though so that she could hear if Brooke needed her. She didn't want to spy on her friends, but she didn't want Brooke to cry on her own if things went badly.

"Thanks," Brooke said softly as she and Lucas rose to their feet. She was glad she hadn't gotten around to filling the mug with coffee before answering the door.

Lucas followed her into the kitchen so that he could dump the pieces of the mug into the garbage can.

"Do you want a cup of coffee?" Brooke asked as she went over to the cabinet and grabbed a new mug.

"Sure," Lucas said, taking a seat in one of the wrought iron bar stools that were pulled up to the kitchen island.

Brooke grabbed a second mug out of the cabinet and set them down next to the coffee maker. She went over to the fridge and grabbed Lucas' favorite creamer off the door. She always kept some in the house, even when they hadn't been speaking, for just in cases. She dumped two sugar packets into each up and then poured in the coffee. She added the creamer to Lucas's and then carefully carried the two mugs over to where he was sitting. After putting the creamer back into the fridge, she took a seat next to him.

"Thanks," he said, wrapping his hands around the dark blue mug she'd set in front of him.

"You're welcome," she replied, staring down into her coffee for a long minute before sighing heavily and then looking over at him. "What are you doing here, Lucas?"

"I wanted to talk to you," he said.

Lucas had never felt more uncomfortable in his own skin. Brooke was sitting there next to him wearing jeans and a t-shirt he was pretty sure belonged to him. She was so gorgeous all the time. It was hard to believe that someone so beautiful had told him that she loved him. Even with her face free of makeup in that baggy t-shirt, she took his breath away and made it hard to think.

"Obviously," she said and then took a sip of her coffee. "Seriously, Luke, what do you want?"

"To tell you that I love you," he said, turning his bar stool to face her.

"What?" she said.

"I love you, Brooke Davis," he said. "I've loved you ever since that first day I saw you standing on Janss Steps. I just never thought you could feel the same way."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Brooke asked, her eyes filling with tears. "Why didn't you say anything two months ago? Or two years ago? Or four years ago? Why now, Lucas?"

"Because I finally realized how miserable I am without you," he said. "I missed you, Pretty Girl. I missed your smile and your laugh. I missed talking to you and the way you steal all the popcorn when we go to the movies. I'm pretty lost without you, Brooke Davis."

"So you wait two months to tell me?" she said, brushing the tears away from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand. "God, Lucas, I was trying to get over you."

"But I don't want you to," he said, reaching over and taking her hand in his. "I love you, Brooke."

"I love you too," she said

The tears started to spill down her cheeks and Lucas let her hand go to gently wipe them away with his thumbs. He let his hand cup her face as he wiped her tears away and then replaced his thumbs with his lips.

"God, I love you," he murmured before pressing his lips against hers.

Lucas reached over and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to sit across his lap as they kissed. He opened his eyes for a moment, just in time to watch hers flutter closed as she sighed into their kiss. In his opinion, she never looked sexier. She parted her lips as she sighed and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. He could taste the coffee she'd been drinking and the slightest hint of peppermint along with something else that he could only define as 'Brooke.'

Brooke wrapped her arms around him and let her fingers stroke the hair at the base of his neck. She'd dreamed of that moment for so long. It was hard to believe that it was finally happening. The way his lips slid over hers made her feel like she was completely boneless. Her skin felt like it was on fire where his hands had crept up under the t-shirt she had stolen from him years before to rest just above her jeans on the bare skin of her hips.

"Say it again," she whispered after breaking their kiss for lack of air.

"I love you, Brooke Davis," he said. "I love you so much."

"Good," she smiled as he rested his forehead against hers. "I love you too, Lucas Scott."

They still had issues to deal with. She was still pissed that he'd waited two months before finally telling her that he loved her. There was still a lot they needed to talk about. But at that moment, it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the feeling of his lips against hers. She'd dreamed of that moment for nearly six years and the delicious sensation of his lips against her neck was all that mattered.

…

Nathan stood out in the empty parking lot with his hands shoved in the pockets of his black leather jacket. A lot of people in L.A. drove black Escalades. There was no way anyone would know it was him. His eyes darted around at every sound he heard, expecting to see paparazzi come jumping out of the bushes or something. He took a deep breath as a dark green SUV pulled into the lot and stopped in the space next to him. A man with shaggy blond hair and rumpled clothes climbed out of the vehicle and came over to where he was standing.

"Here you go, man," Jack said, handing Nathan a sandwich bag with about a dozen pills down in the bottom. "If these don't give you more energy, nothing will."

"They'll definitely help my game?" Nathan said, inspecting the pills.

"Those things would help my eighty-year-old grandmother's game," Jack said. "They're not still drug testing you, are they?"

"No," Nathan said, digging a wad of bills out of his pocket. "I'm not playing right now so it doesn't matter."

"Okay," Jack said. "Be careful with those, man. I hear they cause killer mood swings. You don't want anyone to get suspicious."

"I will," Nathan said, pocketing the pills. "How much do I owe you?"

Nathan handed over the amount Jack requested and then climbed back into his vehicle. He pulled the sandwich bag out of his jacket pocket and stared down at them for a long time. He'd never thought he'd be the kind of guy who would use drugs to help his game, but Dan's words kept ringing in his ears. He would play basketball again. He had to and he would do whatever seemed necessary to make sure he got to. He carefully shook one of the pills into the palm of his hand and popped it in his mouth, washing it down with a swig from the water bottle that had been sitting in his center console. The green SUV next to him started back up and pulled out of the parking lot. Nathan watched Jack drive away and then waited a few minutes before leaving as well. He wasn't going to lose basketball. He wasn't.

…

Haley had just finished putting the final coat on her toe nails when she heard another knock at the door. She'd vaguely heard Lucas's declaration of love and after that had immediately closed her bedroom door to give Brooke and Lucas a little privacy. She knew they were in the kitchen and waited to see if either one of them would go and open the door. When she heard someone knock again, she was fairly certain that they were too wrapped up in each other to hear what was going on in the outside world.

She groaned and screwed the lid back onto her nail polish. If she got polish on the floors, Brooke was officially not allowed to yell at her. Haley slowly climbed off her bed and made her way out of her room, once again carefully balancing her weight on her heels.

"Get a room, you two," she said when she saw Brooke and Lucas making out in the kitchen.

Haley laughed when Brooke and Lucas sprang apart, both flushing heavily. Brooke shot her a dirty look and then hopped off Lucas's lap. She grabbed his hand and pulled him off his bar stool and towards her room as Lucas sputtered apologies to her as they went. Haley chuckled as she watched them go, but her attention was drawn back to the door when she heard someone start banging again.

"Nathan?" she said after opening the door. "How'd things go with your dad?"

"My dad's an ass, Haley," he smirked as he followed her into the house. "Why are you walking like that?"

"I just painted my toe nails," she said. "I don't want to get polish on the floor."

"Let me help with that," he said, sweeping her up into his arms and causing Haley to squeal.

"Nathan!" she said. "Put me down!"

"I'm helping," he said, carrying her into the living room and setting her down on the couch.

"My hero," Haley said, rolling her eyes. "So, seriously, how did things with your dad go?"

"We got in a fight," he sighed, sitting down next to her. "As usual. Then I kicked him out of my house. You know, every time he comes around, I hope that maybe this time his changed, maybe this time will be different, but it never is. He never is. He's always the same old jerk he's always been."

"I'm sorry, baby," she said, reaching up and running her fingers through his dark hair. "I wished it would be different for you too."

"You know what would make me feel better?" he said with a smirk.

"I may have an idea or two," Haley said flirtatiously, rising up on her knees so that she could lean over and kiss him.

Haley almost immediately sighed into the kiss and let Nathan deepen it, his tongue clashing with hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she felt his arms come around her to slowly lower her down onto the sofa cushions. He moved on top of her, bracing himself on his forearms so that he wouldn't crush her. Haley gasped when she felt Nathan's knee move in between her legs and then immediately moaned when his lips left hers and started to travel down her neck.

She felt Nathan's hands sneak beneath her black tank top and skim their way up her sides. When she felt them reach the underwire of her bra she tried to push him away, but he just reclaimed her lips with his and kissed her deeply. She lost herself in their kiss for a moment before she felt his hands snake around to her back and tug at the clasp of her bra.

"Nathan, we can't do this," she said, pushing away from him.

"Of course we can, baby," he said, making his way back down her neck.

"No," she said, trying again to push him away. "Brooke and Lucas are back in Brooke's room. They could come out any minute."

"They're probably doing the same thing we are, baby," he murmured against her skin before nipping lightly at the base of her neck as his hands traveled down to the draw string of her pajama bottoms.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she said, shoving him off of her as hard as she could.

"Haley…"

"No, seriously," she said, standing up and walking across the room as she straightened out her tank top. "What were you doing?"

"I thought I was making out with my girlfriend," he said defensively, sitting up on the couch.

"Well, I'm sorry if I don't find getting felt up on the couch while my roommate and your brother are in the other room very romantic."

"Why does everything have to be all romantic and shit?"

"I don't know," Haley said, waving her arms wildly. "Maybe I just expected a little more romance today since, you know, you finally told me that you loved me and all."

"Well, you don't always get what you want, Haley," he said.

"What's your problem?"

"My problem?" Nathan replied. "My problem is that we've been dating for two months and you freak out every time I try to freaking touch you."

"We talked about this, Nathan," Haley said softly, wrapping her arms protectively around herself. "I told you I want to wait until I'm married this time."

"See, that's what I don't get," he said. "You'll give it up to some complete asshole who didn't give a shit about you but won't even consider giving it up to the guy who actually loves you."

"Yeah, well the guy who's supposed to love me is looking an awful like that asshole right now," she said.

"This is complete bullshit," Nathan said.

"I think you should leave."

Haley…"

"Get out of my apartment, Nathan."

"Fine," he said, storming out of the room.

"Fine!" Haley yelled and then slammed the door behind him. "Damn it!"

She sank down against the door and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. The door to Brooke's bedroom squeaked open and Haley looked up to see Lucas standing there hesitantly in the hallway with his shirt on inside out.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"It's fine," she replied tersely. "Go back to Brooke."

"Was that Nathan?"

"Yes, that was your asshole of a half brother," Haley said. "Seriously, Luke, just get back to whatever it was you and Brooke were doing. I'm fine."

Lucas looked at her dubiously for a moment before coming to sit on the floor next to her. He wrapped his arm around Haley's shoulders and pulled her close, resting his chin on top of her head.

"You can go ahead and say I told you so," she said, sniffling. "Once again the smart girl looks really stupid."

"I wasn't going to say that," he said.

"But you were thinking it."

"Maybe," he smirked.

"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting, Luke," she said after a pause. "I've been treating you like crap for the last two months and I shouldn't have done that."

"I kind of deserved it," Lucas chuckled. "I was a jerk about you and Nathan dating. I should have trusted your judgment, Hales. Tonight excluded, Nathan has really changed since you came into his life."

"I thought so too," Haley sighed.

"He has, Buddy," Lucas said. "Even I can tell that he's not the same guy who he when he walked into my gym two months ago and that's all because of you. I don't know what was going on with him tonight, but he definitely wasn't the same guy he usually is around you. It's kind of like…"

"Kind of like what?" she said, looking up at him frowning.

"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head. "I'm sure you two will work it out. He really cares about you, Hales."

Haley nodded and Lucas gave her one last squeeze before rising to his feet. He offered her a hand to help her stand up but she waved it off.

"I'm just going to sit here for awhile," she said, leaning her head back against the door.

After hearing Brooke's door close behind Lucas, Haley rubbed her hands over her eyes and then slowly rose to her feet. She didn't know what was going on with Nathan, but that guy on the couch was not the man she was in love with. She knew it probably wouldn't do any good to call him right away, so she decided to wait until morning. In the morning everything would probably be clearer.

A/N: I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I know that was terrible and that I'm a terrible person for leaving things so unresolved and I'm sorry. I cried a little bit while writing it when Haley slammed the door behind him. But I think to raise both my spirits and yours, I'm going to post a couple of scenes that I cut that take place between chapters 7 and 8 right after Haley and Nathan start dating. So, if ya'll would like to read them, let me know and I'll post them a little later this week. Once again, I'm really sorry, but they wouldn't be Naley if there wasn't drama.


	10. Your Love is My Drug

Haley sighed as she shifted her silver Lexus SUV into park. She rubbed her hands over her face and then into her hair before gripping the steering wheel tightly. She wasn't even sure what she was doing there. Nathan hadn't been answering her phone calls for the last few days. She'd tried to call him at least seven times and he hadn't answered once. He hadn't tried to call her. He hadn't sent her a text message. He hadn't tried to contact her at all and as pissed off as she was at him, she was worried too.

She'd finally broken down and called Jake, asking him if he'd heard from Nathan at all that day. Jake had told her that he was probably practicing on his personal outdoor basketball court that was situated behind his house. Haley hadn't been sure what to do with that information for the longest time. Obviously if he wasn't answering her calls, he didn't want to talk to her. But that didn't mean that they didn't have a lot to talk about.

Haley slowly got out of the car and made her way around the side of Nathan's house to where the basketball court was located. She'd never gone around the house before and made her way rather hesistantly. She could hear the faint sound of a basketball bouncing against concrete and knew that Jake had been right.

"That was weak, Nathan," she heard Dan Scott call out and grimaced. She really didn't want to have an audience for this conversation.

"Your approach was way too slow and the ball barely made it in."

"My approach was fine, Dad," Nathan said. "And the ball went in, didn't it?"

"The Lakers aren't going to want you back if you play like that," Dan continued.

"My god," Nathan said. "Could you say one positive thing?"

"Give me something positive to say and I'll say it," Dan said.

Haley could hear the frustration in Nathan's voice and her heart immediately went out to him. She wasn't sure why he'd even let Dan into the house knowing their history. The two men were locked in a standoff when she got to the edge of the basketball court and neither one noticed her. Nathan was standing there in a light blue muscle shirt with a Nike logo across the front and what Haley'd come to identify as his favorite pair of dark blue basketball shorts with the basketball on his hip. Dan had pulled a deck chair over from the pool and was sitting in a dark blue suit on the edge of his seat as he criticized his son.

"Nathan," she called softly, wrapping her arms around herself. "Can I talk to you?"

"Let's go inside," he said, glaring at his father as he walked past him.

Haley followed him through the glass French doors and into his kitchen. She leaned against the black marble topped kitchen island as Nathan grabbed a water bottle out of his stainless steel fridge and downed half the bottle.

"So," she said after he set the bottle down on the counter next to him. "You haven't been answering your phone."

"Yeah," he said. "I haven't."

"Listen, Nathan," she said, brushing her blond curls back away from her face. "I'm sorry about kicking you out of my apartment like that the other night."

"Okay," he said.

"Don't you have anything to say?"

"Not really," Nathan replied.

"Are you kidding?" she said incredulously, gripping the countertop firmly. "You were a total asshole and you have nothing to say?"

"What do you want me to say, Haley?" he said. "Life's a bitch. People are mean. That's just how it is."

"Yeah?" she said, pushing away from the counter. "Well, you're supposed to be kind to the people you love."

"Haley…"

"Seriously, Nathan," she said, hands on her hips. "What happened to the guy I've been dating for the last two months? Because this version of you does not work for me."

"This is me, Haley," he said. "This is who I've always been."

Haley looked at him dubiously for a moment and opened her mouth like she was going to say something and then closed it again. The man in front of her was not her boyfriend. She wasn't sure who he was, but he wasn't the Nathan that she loved. He wasn't the man she'd come to know over the last few months. This guy was a stranger and she didn't like him very much.

"What's Dan even doing here anyway?" she asked, choosing to ignore his last comment. "I thought you were going to find out what he wanted and then get him on the first plane back to Tree Hill."

"He's helping me get my game back," Nathan replied with a shrug.

"Because Dan Scott knows all about physical therapy," Haley scoffed.

"At least he's actually helping me."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she said incredulously.

"It means that you playing cheerleader at my sessions isn't actually doing a lot of good," he said.

"Fine!" Haley yelled. "If I'm so useless, I'll stop going to your damn therapy sessions and actually start concentrating on _my_ career again instead of yours."

"You do that," he bit back.

"Fine, I will."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"Anything else you want to say?" he spat.

"Call me when you stop being such a dick," she said finally before marching out of the house.

Nathan watched her go, clenching his jaw tightly. He cursed and threw his water bottle across the room when he heard Haley slam the front door behind her. Part of him wanted to go after her, but he couldn't get his legs to move. He could feel his heart racing in his chest. Maybe he'd taken a few too many of those pills. His muscles started seizing up and he felt himself start to fall.

"Nathan, I…" Haley said as she walked back into the kitchen. "Oh God! Nathan!"

Haley sprinted across the kitchen and took Nathan into her arms.

"Oh god, Baby," she said. "Nathan, talk to me! Please baby! Please!"

Dan heard Haley screaming from out by the basketball court and came running into the house. He stopped in his tracks when he saw his son lying on the floor.

"What did you do to him?" he demanded.

"I just came back inside and he was like this," Haley said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Nathan, please!"

Dan dug his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed 911. The paramedics arrived in just a few minutes and they gently pried Haley away from Nathan so that they could work on him. She watched with the tears still pouring down her cheeks as they checked Nathan's vitals and then loaded him onto the stretcher. She grabbed Nathan's limp hand and walked with him out to the ambulance with Dan close on her heels. Dan tried to push her out of the way so that he could climb into the ambulance with his son, but wasn't prepared for the furry Haley unleashed.

"You stay away from him!" she said. "This is your fault!"

Dan stood there in shock as he watched the ambulance pulled away from the house. He watched until he could no longer here the sirens and then mechanically made his way to his rented SUV. He sat there behind the wheel for a long moment, Haley's accusation playing over and over in his ears. He finally put his keys into the ignition and drove to the hospital. He needed to talk to his son.

…

"Are you sure you don't need me to get you anything?" Haley said, taking his hand between hers and squeezing it gently.

"I'm fine, Hales," he said, smiling weakly at her.

Haley fluttered around Nathan nervously. She would go from holding his hand to running her fingers through his hair to smoothing the sheets around him constantly. He'd regained consciousness in the ambulance and Haley hadn't stopped moving since. She just wanted him to be okay.

Nathan felt like an ass. He'd been such a jerk to Haley over the last few days and there she was, being sweet and supportive. Her being so nice to him was just making him feel even guiltier. He squeezed her hand and smiled at her again was she ran her fingers through his hair. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it, causing her to lean down and kiss his forehead. What floored him was the fact that she still hadn't asked what had caused him to pass out like that. She hadn't questioned him once.

Haley's head shot up when the curtain that had been drawn around Nathan's bed fluttered. Her jaw tightened when she saw Dan Scott peak his head in and she immediately marched over to him and dragged him out by the arm.

"I told you to stay away from him," she hissed, glaring up at the older man.

"Listen here, missy," Dan said. "That's my son in there…"

"It's okay, Hales," Nathan called out. "Let him in."

Dan sneered at Haley triumphantly as they made their way back to Nathan's bedside. Haley could see the tension radiating off Nathan as soon as his father got near him. She wanted nothing more than to take him in her arms and whisper to him that everything would be okay.

"Haley," Nathan said, staring up at his father. "Why don't you go ahead and go home?"

"Nathan!"

"I'm okay," he said. "The doctor's going to come in and say that I'm fine. I've just been over doing it for the last few days. You look exhausted, baby. Go home and get some rest."

"But Nathan…"

"My son told you to leave," Dan said smugly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Haley stared down at Nathan's bed, fiddling with the corner of the blanket. Nathan took her hand in his and once again gently kissed her palm.

"I just need to talk to my dad alone," he said.

"Because that went so well the first time," Haley grumbled.

"Please, baby? I'll come see you as soon as I'm discharged."

"Nathan, I don't want to argue with you…"

"So don't," he said with a faint smile. "Please, babe? Take a cab home and I'll come over as soon as they let me out of here."

"Fine," Haley said reluctantly, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said, smiling up at her.

Haley grabbed her purse from where she'd left it in the chair next to Nathan's bed and then slowly made her away out of the ER. Nathan watched her go and then sighed heavily. He rubbed the hand that wasn't attached his IV over his face and then turned to face his father.

"I want you to leave, Dan," he said.

"But you just kicked that slut out so we could talk," Dan said.

"Don't talk about her like that," Nathan said, glaring at his father. "I asked her to leave so that she didn't have to hear this. I want to you to leave California and stay out of my life."

"What?"

"You heard me, Dan," Nathan said. "I don't want you in my life. Stay away from me and stay away from Haley."

"You have got to be kidding me," Dan said.

"I'm serious," Nathan said. "You know why I'm here, _Dad_? Because I have to take drugs just to be around you, but no more. I'm not doing this shit anymore. This visit of yours almost cost me the most important thing in my life."

"I thought basketball was the most important thing in your life."

"No," Nathan said. "Basketball is the most important thing in _your_ life. Not mine, not anymore."

"Nathan…"

"Go home, Dan," Nathan said. "Go back to Tree Hill."

"You're going to regret this, son" Dan said.

"What I regret," Nathan replied. "Is letting you back into my life. I won't make that mistake again."

"She's going to leave," Dan said, pausing at the edge of the curtains around Nathan's bed. "She's not the kind of girl who sticks around. You'll see."

"Get out."

Sitting there in that hospital bed, Nathan Scott had never felt more alone. His dad was an ass. Nathan knew his dad was an ass. But part of him would always be that kid who just wanted his dad to be proud of him. Nathan listened to everything the doctor had to say. Apparently he'd collapsed because he was dehydrated, not because of the drugs necessarily. He could see by the look in the doctor's eyes that they'd found the drugs in his system, but the doctor didn't question him about it. The doctor did however, ask for an autograph before releasing him. Apparently he was too much of a Lakers fan to turn in the Lakers' star shooting guard for doing speed.

Nathan knew he should be grateful that the doctor didn't say anything. He knew getting publicly busted for doing speed would be suicide for his career, but for some reason it just made him sad. It only served to remind him that most people only cared about Nathan Scott the basketball player, not Nathan, the guy who was just trying to get his life back together.

The doctor released Nathan with strict orders to take it easy and drink plenty of fluids. As soon as he was changed back into his t-shirt and basketball shorts, Nathan knew where he had to go. He had to go to the one person who could care less whether or not he played basketball. He had to go to the person who he knew would love him no matter what. He needed Haley and he needed her to know that he needed her. He needed to tell her how sorry he was and to tell her just how much he loved her.

…

"Nathan, I just want to know that you're alright," Haley said into the phone. "I called the hospital and they said they released you. Please just call me."

"I'm okay."

Haley jumped almost two feet in the air when she heard Nathan's voice behind her and dropped the phone. The phone clattered against the hard wood floor of her bedroom as she stood there staring at him, trying to regain control of her heartbeat. She put her hand on her chest as she stood there in the same brown linen shorts and red and white patterned baby-doll top she'd been wearing earlier.

"I was just trying to call you," she said, looking up at him worriedly.

"I can see that," he said with a weak smile, leaning down to pick up the black and silver cordless phone Haley had been holding. "No one answered when I knocked, but the door was open. Where's Brooke?"

"She's with Lucas tonight," Haley said. "So, are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Can we sit down?"

Haley nodded and took his hand, leading him over to her bed. They sat down next to each other on the edge and she squeezed his hand tightly. Nathan took a shuddery breath and stared down at the pale blue and white patterned carpet that was beneath Haley's bed. She kept their fingers tightly interlocked with one hand and with the other traced slow soothing patterns up and down his forearm, knowing that he would talk when he was ready.

"I have something to tell you," he said after a long silence. "And it's not going to be easy."

"I can take it," she promised, shifting on the bed so that she was facing him.

"I'm sure you've heard a lot about my dad," he began, still looking down at the carpet. "Being his son has never been easy. He's not a good guy and he puts a lot of pressure on me. Back in high school, I got through a couple of games my senior basketball season by taking speed. It was stupid and it made me a jerk to just about everyone, but it gave me so much energy. My dad actually stopped harassing me about my game. As soon as that season was over I stopped. After I got here, after I got away from my dad, I didn't need it anymore. But then when he showed up and he started pushing me about my game, I remembered how much it had seemed to help."

"Oh, Nathan…" Haley said, squeezing his hand.

"That's why I've been such a jerk the last couple of days," he continued. "That's why I've been pushing you away. My dad had me so worried I was never going to play basketball again. Then when you left, it didn't matter anymore. None of it mattered, because none of it matters without you. When I heard the front door shut, all I could think was 'I have to go after her.' It just replayed in my brain over and over again, but I couldn't move. I could feel myself falling and the only thing that mattered was not letting you walk out of my life. I love you, Haley, so much."

"I love you too," she said with tears in her eyes. "Oh god, Nathan, I was so scared I was going to lose you."

"Never gonna happen," he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. Nathan held Haley tightly against his chest as she cried. He ran his fingers through her loose blond curls with one hand and rubbed her back softly with the other.

"Why'd you even let Dan near you again?" Haley asked.

"Because part of me will probably always want a real dad," Nathan said after a pause. "Part of me will probably always hope whenever he comes around that this time will be different. This time he'll be supportive and build me up rather than tear me down. I know that's never going to happen, but part of me always hopes it will."

"I'm so sorry," she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" he asked with a confused frown as he loosened his grip on her.

"I'm sorry for you," she said, reaching up to cup his face between her hands. "I'm sorry that your dad can't see what a wonderful man you are. You don't deserve that."

"I've been a bad guy, Haley," Nathan said, turning away from her. "I make a lot of mistakes. Sometimes because of my dad, and sometimes by choice."

"But I can see how far you've come," she said, turning his face so that she could look him in the eye. "I can see the difference in you, Nathan Scott. You're nowhere near the same jerk you used to be. That's why I've fallen in love with you."

"I love you too, baby," he said, kissing her forehead. "So much. Can I stay here tonight?"

Haley pulled herself away from him and stood up. She looked at him a little skeptically for a minute and Nathan was certain she was about to kick his ass out when she walked out of her bedroom. He heard what sounded like the rattling of locks in her front door before she finally came back into the room and shut her bedroom door behind her.

"Take your shoes off," she instructed, pulling back the covers on her bed. "I don't want your dirty sneakers in my bed."

Nathan smiled as he kicked off his shoes and watched as Haley made her way over to her dresser. She pulled out a pair of silky blue pajama pants and a white tank top before making her way towards the bathroom.

"You know," he said. "I wouldn't mind if you changed out here."

"I'm sure you wouldn't," she replied and then firmly shut and locked the bathroom door behind her.

When she came back out a few minutes later he'd already taken off his shirt and climbed beneath the covers. She wanted to tell him that he was on _her_ side of the bed, but decided against it. She flipped off the light switch next to the door and then climbed into bed next to him. They laid there a little awkwardly for a few minutes before Nathan opened his arms to her and Haley immediately snuggled close. Her cheek rested on the bare skin of his chest as she listened to his soothing steady heartbeat.

"Nathan," she said after a few minutes of silence. "I need you to promise me something."

"What?" he asked. "Not to do drugs again? I can pretty much guarantee you that one."

"No," Haley sighed. "I want you to promise me that you'll stop sending me away when things get bad. I know you just want to protect me or whatever, but I don't need you too. What I need is for you to let me be there for you through everything. You're not alone anymore, Nathan. I'm not going to let you be alone anymore."

"I've been alone most of my life, Hales," Nathan said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I've never had anyone want to be there for me before."

"Well, you do now," she said. "I'm not going anywhere, Nate."

"I'm holding you to that," he said, tightening his grip around her as she snuggled closer to his side.

Nathan listened as her breathing evened out and knew she was fast asleep against him. He couldn't believe that she was there in his arms after everything he put her through. He couldn't believe that she loved him in spite of everything. He got an amazing feeling every time he made a basket or blocked a shot on the basketball court, but it didn't compare one bit to the feeling of having Haley asleep in his arms.

…

"Can we just stay like this forever?" Haley said, snuggling against Nathan.

"We could," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "But we'd never get any work done."

"I could really use a day in the studio," she groaned and then snuggled a little closer. "I've still got one last song to record for my album."

"Well," he said. "How about I go with you to the studio today?"

"You really want to come to the studio with me?" she said.

"Hales," he said. "We've been dating two months and I've never heard you sing except on the radio or along with the radio. You're not really terrible and it's digitally enhanced or something, are you?"

"No!" Haley said. "I just… The song I'm recording… It's kind of about you."

"You wrote a song about me?"

"Most of the CD is about you in some way, shape or form," she said, blushing heavily and burying her face in his chest.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, still not looking at him. "I had some stuff before we met but apparently you've been quite inspiring."

"Inspiring huh?" Nathan said and then started to kiss her neck.

"None of that," Haley said playfully, pushing him away and sitting up. "I have to get to the studio and we have to go to your place so that you can get dressed."

"Come on, baby," Nathan said.

"No," she said, getting out of bed and making her way over to her closet. "I'm going to get a shower and get ready to go and then we can head over to your place so you can get ready."

"I could always join you," he suggested with raised eyebrows.

Haley glared at him mockingly as she walked back out of her closet with a dark blue halter top and a pair of white shorts draped over her arm. She came out of the bathroom about thirty minutes later fully dressed and ready to go. She'd straightened her curly blond hair so that it hung straight down to about the middle of her back. As she walked over to her dresser to grab a pair of small silver hoop earrings out of her jewelry box, Nathan groaned when he caught a whiff of her scent. She always smelled fantastic as far as he was concerned, but her scent was even stronger when she was fresh out of the shower.

"Now this is just not fair," he said, causing Haley to look over at him with a frown.

"What are you talking about?"

"You get all clean and sexy and then we have to leave," he said, coming up behind her to wrap his arms around her.

Haley groaned as Nathan's lips traveled down her neck and she melted back into his arms for a moment. The feeling of his hot mouth against her skin was enough to make her weak in the knees. She gasped when he reached her pulse point and then turned in his arms to kiss him fully on the mouth. She felt his hands travel down to the small of her back and sneak beneath the hem of her shirt.

"That's enough," she said, pushing back away from her. "Let's go. If you're good I'll sing you the song I wrote for you."

"I thought you wrote most of the album about me," he said with a grin.

"Well, sort of," she said. "But this song is especially about you."

"Well, then I can't wait to hear it," Nathan said with a grin.

"Good," she said, rising up on her tip toes to kiss him lightly on the lips and then darted into the closet to grab her favorite pair of brown sandals. "Let's go. You know, we're really lucky that I have more than one car."

"You're SUV's still at my place, isn't it?" he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they made their way out of the apartment.

"Yeah," she said. "That's the second time this week. I think I might have to stop going over there if I'm going to be leaving cars there all the time."

"You like my private stretch of beach too much for that and you know it," he laughed and then kissed the top of her head.

"Oh yeah, she said teasingly. "I knew there was a reason I kept going over there."

Nathan's property extended all the way to the ocean and in Haley's opinion there was the most gorgeous stretch of beach she'd ever seen in California along the border of his property. The water was the most perfect blue you'd ever seen and there were all these little purple flowers along the path that lead down to the beach. They'd spent many perfect afternoons down there after he'd had a particularly rough therapy session or they just had the day off. It was probably Haley's favorite part of his property. She just wished you could really see it from the house.

"It has nothing to do with the guy who owns the house?"

"Not a thing," she laughed as they stepped into the parking garage.

Nathan growled and dragged Haley over to the wall of the parking garage. He pinned her up against the cool concrete and pressed his lips roughly against hers. He took her lower lip between his teeth and smiled when she gasped as he ran his tongue against it. She opened her mouth a little wider and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss as she wrapped her legs around him. Haley groaned when he broke the kiss and sighed in pleasure as his lips started making their way down her neck. Her fingers immediately threaded through his hair so that she could hold his head in place.

"It really has nothing to do with the guy who owns the house?" he smirked as he looked into her eyes.

"Maybe a little bit," she teased, her amber colored eyes sparkling.

"Just a little?" he murmured between kisses as he made his way down the other side of her neck.

"Maybe a lot," she sighed and then he brought his lips back up to hers.

"I love you, Haley James," he said after breaking there kiss. "I might do a lot of stupid shit sometimes, but I will always love you. Remember that, okay?"

"I love you too, Nathan Scott," she said as he stepped back away from her and let her feet finally hit the ground again. "Don't you ever forget that either, okay?"

Nathan took her hand and laced his fingers through hers as she led him over to where her other cars were parked. His eyes widened when he saw which car's lights flashed when Haley hit the automatic lock button. She led him over to a fire engine red Lamborghini and made her way to the driver's side.

"So this is where all of Haley James' money goes," he said, eyeing the car appreciatively. "Nice car, Hales."

"The Aston Martin's in the shop for a tune up this week," she shrugged. "Benji here is a little more ostentatious, but he doesn't get out enough."

"How many cars do you have?" he asked incredulously.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," she laughed and then slipped behind the wheel. "Are you going to get in or are you going to stare at the car all day?"

"Any chance you're going to let me drive this thing?" he asked after he'd climbed into the car and buckled his seatbelt.

"Not a chance in, Scott," she laughed, shifting the car into gear. "Not a chance in."

A/N: So, this chapter's official nickname is 'the beast' because a) it's probably the longest chapter I've written for this story and b) because it was a freakin' emotional rollercoaster. I felt emotionally drained every time I reread it for spelling and grammar mistakes or to make little changes here and there. I hope that ya'll enjoyed it though. Feedback is always greatly appreciated. I'm still debating the 'Chris Keller' issue though which means my unofficial poll is still open and it's not too late to cast your vote one way or the other. So, tell me what you think because I'm dying to hear your feedback. I was a little disappointed again by the lack of reviews for the last chapter and I really really like to hear what ya'll think. So, I hope you liked it and I hope you review. Oh, and I decided not to post the outtake scenes this past week. I have some from different moments in their relationship and I think I'm going to keep writing them and then post them all after the story's been completed. That's my current plan anyway. Like I said, I hope you enjoyed this and I really hope you review. Thank you to everyone who did review the last chapter and I especially thank everyone who has reviewed every chapter.


	11. The Right Time

"We were starting to wonder if you were ever coming back," a male voice called out as Haley led Nathan into the studio.

"Oh hush, Andrew," Haley laughed. "It's only been a couple of days."

"Says the girl who made us be here every day for the last three months," another voice called out. "At all hours of the night, mind you."

"Shut up, Walker," she said, lacing her fingers through Nathan's. "You'd think you boys would be thanking me for giving you a break."

They'd walked through the front doors of the studio to see a group of guys sitting on a circular black leather couch in the main lobby are. Nathan could see why Haley liked going into the studio based on the lobby. The walls were a warm red reminiscent of Haley and Brooke's kitchen back in their apartment. Framed tour posters lined the walls and Nathan immediately spotted one from Haley's first tour when she was just an opening act.

The guys on the couch all looked to be about his age. Andrew was thin with curly shaggy blond hair and an oversized Led Zeppelin t-shirt and Walker had short light brown hair with a slightly crumpled red and black plaid button-up shirt over a t-shirt for a band Nathan didn't recognize.

"So, this is the guy who you've been spending all your time with?" Andrew asked, gesturing towards Nathan.

"Oh," Haley said, turning to smile up at her boyfriend. "Boys, this is Nathan Scott. Nathan, this is Andrew and Walker. They're in my band."

"It's nice to finally meet the guy who makes Hales smile so much," Andrew said. "She hasn't shut up about you since you started doing physical therapy together."

"That is so not true," Haley said, smacking Andrew lightly on the arm.

"Seriously, man," Walker said. "All we've heard is 'Nathan this' and 'Nathan that' for like the last three months."

"That is also not true and you boys know it," she said. "Don't listen to a word those two say. They lie about everything all the time."

"I'll keep that in mind," Nathan laughed.

"Glad you could join us again, Miss James," another male voice called out and Nathan felt Haley's grip on his hand tighten. "We were starting to think you were never going to get this album done."

A pale man quite a few inches shorter than Nathan stepped out into the lobby in an impeccable grey suit. Nathan thought he looked like a tool, but Haley was obviously intimidated by him by the way she stepped closer to his side. Nathan really didn't like how the man was looking at her with his rather beady black eyes, like she was some sort of possession or prize, and Nathan wrapped his arm around Haley's waist to pull her close to him.

"I'm here to record the last track today, Mr. Mills," Haley replied.

"Good," Mr. Mills said, crossing his arms over his chest. "We've wasted more than enough time and money on your album and tour."

"It'll be finished today, sir," she said quietly and Nathan tightened his grip around her, rubbing her bare arm softly.

"Fine, get to work then," he said and then looked Nathan up and down with a glare. "Let's just hope you can focus."

"Yes, sir," Haley said, looking down at the floor.

Nathan looked on frowningly as Mr. Mills gave Haley one last disapproving look and then turned on his heel to make his way back towards his office. Haley's lighthearted mood had completely disappeared and she wrapped her arms around Nathan's waist, burying her face in his chest. She sighed heavily and then pulled away from him.

"Let's get into the studio," she said, still looking down at the ground.

Andrew and Walker stood up and followed Haley down a wide hallway with Nathan close on their heels. He was amazed by the difference in the demeanor of the three musicians in front of him after talking to Mr. Mills. Haley stopped by the third door on their left and turned back to Andrew and Walker, holding her hand out towards Nathan. He immediately took it and drew her close to his side again.

"Boys," she said to her two band mates. "Can you give us a minute."

Walker gave her a wry look and they both nodded as Haley opened the door to the recording booth and pulled Nathan in behind her.

"Kiss me," she said, pushing him back against the wall and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Nathan wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but he wasn't about to turn her down. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly against him. She pulled his head down towards hers and pressed her lips softly against his. Almost immediately she sucked his lower lip in between hers in the way she'd learned that he liked best. Nathan moaned against her lips and immediately moved to deepen the kiss. She wrapped her arms tighter around him as she felt his hands travel up her back to the bare skin exposed by her halter top and softly stroked the fine hairs at the base of his neck.

He broke their kiss for lack of air and then started trailing kisses down her neck, causing Haley's hands to fist into his hair. She sighed happily when he stopped at her pulse point to nip lightly at the skin and felt her knees go weak beneath her. Nathan felt her sag against him and quickly flipped them around so that she was the one pressed against the wall. After about a minute or two, Haley finally pushed him away and let her feet slide back down to the floor.

"What was that for?" Nathan asked with a smirk. "Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"I just needed a little inspiration before I sing this song," she replied, giving him one last peck. "I better let the boys in now. They're gonna get grumpy if I make them wait too long."

"Did you really have to make out with us on the other side of the door?" Andrew asked as they walked into the studio. "Like, was that really necessary?"

"Well, we could have done it in front of you," Haley shrugged. "But I didn't think you'd like that very much.

"Damn right we wouldn't have," Walker said. "Peter and Charlie will be here in about five minutes, by the way."

"Okay," Haley said. "Let's look over the song we're doing today."

…

_When everything is lovely  
When everything is fine  
It's the right time  
To hold on to you_

Haley's voice filled the studio as she sang. In Nathan's opinion, the song was beautiful. She was beautiful. He had to admit that rap music was more his thing, but he could listen to her sing all day.

_When everything is broken  
When everything's all wrong  
It's the right time  
To hold on to you  
It's always the right time  
To hold on to you_

They'd been in the studio for about three hours. The first hour and a half had been laying down the instrumental track for the song and then Nathan finally got to hear Haley sing. She sounded good on the radio, he had to admit, but nothing could beat Haley singing in person. She was amazing. He couldn't take her eyes off her for the first forty five minutes. He thought every take sounded amazing, but Haley still wasn't quite satisfied with it and Nathan's attention was starting to waver. He was still bothered by Haley's interaction with that executive when they'd first gotten there.

"So, what's the deal with that Mills guy?" he asked Andrew, who was sitting in the booth next to him.

"You mean why's he got it out for Haley?" Andrew chuckled. "No one really knows. He's treated her like shit pretty much since Haley started recording here. He's a partner for the company and isn't a fan of hers for some reason."

"Why does she put up with it?"

"Mills excluded, Bright Star's been really good to Haley over the last two years," Andrew shrugged. "From what she says, they took a chance on her when no one else would. Mr. Carter was the guy who was running things then and he really took Haley under his wing. She's like another daughter to him. But he retired at the beginning of this year and things haven't been the same since."

"Bright Star's the name of the label, right?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah," Andrew replied. "Most of the people here are really cool, but Mills wants to deal more with hip hop artists than pop stars. Thank god none of the other executives agree with him because then we'd all be out label shopping again and that is not a good place to be right now."

"She's so talented, though," Nathan said, smiling as he watched Haley for a minute before turning his attention back to Andrew. "Why would they want to give her up?"

"It's only Mills that's trying to force her out," Andrew said. "Everybody else loves Haley. He was the ass who started threatening to cut Haley's tour after her accident. I'm still kind of worried that he's going to try to pull something else. She's worked really hard to get where she is today. The girl's a total slave driver when it comes to studio time. This is the most relaxed I've ever seen her. You want to come with her every day?"

"I don't think she'd let me," Nathan laughed.

"Seriously though, man," Andrew said, turning to face Nathan fully. "You've been really good for her. She smiles more now. We were really worried about her there for a while."

"Why was that?" Nathan asked.

"Haley's really sensitive," Andrew replied. "I don't mean that in a bad way. She just takes things really deeply. You know she dated Damien West for a while, right?"

"Yeah," Nathan said. "I heard about it. She broke up with him, right?"

"She did," Andrew said. "But she broke up with him because she caught him cheating on her. We got back from our last tour a night early. He had a game here in LA that night and she went back to his place to wait for him and surprise him. Turns out she was the one who was surprised when he came home with another woman. Apparently, he was cheating on her the entire time they were together."

"Wow," Nathan said.

"Yeah," Andrew said, nodding his head. "Haley took it pretty bad. She wouldn't set foot in the studio for months. We finally got her back in and the label agreed to her solo tour and then she had her accident. I think it's been one thing after another for her for about seven months or so. Then she met you."

"Then she met me," Nathan repeated, leaning back further in his chair.

"I guess it goes without saying that if you ever hurt her, I'll kill you," Andrew said. "Then again, I'll probably have to get in line."

"What?"

"Well, you know Haley has like three older brothers, right?"

"Yeah," Nathan nodded.

"Well, Matt, the oldest, was a linebacker for the Patriots before he blew out his knee a couple of years ago," Andrew said. "The guy's like 300 pounds of solid muscle. He threatened the entire band within an inch of our lives if any of us hurt Haley. I'm still a little surprised that West is still alive."

"What about the other two?"

"I thought you would have heard of them," Andrew said. "The James twins? They play basketball for Miami."

"Those James brothers are Haley's?" Nathan asked incredulously. "She never said a word."

"She probably figured you knew," Andrew shrugged. "She doesn't talk about her family much, though. She never has. She loves them and all, but they smothered her. She's the baby of the family and they tried to spoil her rotten, but Haley's pretty independent."

"Yeah, she is," Nathan said.

Haley finished singing the song and came back into the booth. She took a seat on Nathan's lap as her producer, Gary, played back the last recording for her to listen to. Nathan toyed with the ends of her long blond hair and watched Haley smile in satisfaction as she listened. She relaxed against Nathan and took his free hand between both of hers.

"It sounds great, Haley," Gary said. "Are you satisfied?"

"Yeah," Haley said, grinning and sliding off Nathan's lap. "I am. We did it Gary. We finished another album."

"Never thought I'd see the day," Gary laughed, hugging her tightly.

The other boys in the band came in and Haley hugged them all. Nathan felt like he probably should be jealous as she hugged all of the men in the room, but Haley's smile made any jealousy he felt dissipate. Her joy was contagious and it was fun to watch her interact with the boys in her band. The easy camaraderie between them wasn't unlike that between him and his teammates in basketball. Haley finally came back over to him and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"You did it, babe," he said, hugging her back tightly. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you," she said softly, not letting go of him.

"How about we go out tonight to celebrate?" he suggested, pulling back so that he could look her in the eye. "We can go back to your favorite restaurant. I won't even tease you for ordering macaroni and cheese."

"Sounds perfect," she said, rising up on her tip toes to give him a quick kiss.

Nathan laced his fingers through hers as she said goodbye to everyone and promised to meet them the next day to let the executives listen to the album. They walked out of the building and to the parking lot where Haley's Lamborghini was waiting for them. She stopped a few feet away from it and dug around in her purse for the keys. She stopped and looked down at them for a minute before handing them to Nathan.

"Are you serious?" he asked, arching his eyebrows as he stared down at the keys she'd just placed in his palm.

"Just don't get used to it," she laughed. "Are you going to unlock it or stare at it?"

"Don't be a smartass," he said with a playful glare as he pressed the automatic unlock button.

"You love me anyway," Haley said.

"You're right," he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. "I do."

"So what'd you think of the song?"

"I knew you were going to ask that eventually…"

"Did you hate it?" she asked worriedly as he opened the passenger side door for her.

"I loved it," he assured her after taking the seat behind the wheel. "When did you write it?"

"Yesterday," she said.

"When?" he said with a frown as he put the key in the ignition.

"When I was waiting for you to get out of the hospital," she said. "I was sitting on my bed worried about you and I just poured everything I'd been feeling over the last few days into that song. It came out pretty well, didn't it?"

"It's amazing," Nathan said, leaning over to kiss the side of her head. "You're amazing. And just so you know, babe, I'm holding onto you too."

…

"You know," Haley said, laying stretched out across her bed. "One day we're not going to live together and you won't be able to pick out all of my clothes anymore."

"You're not planning on shacking up with Boy Toy or anything," Brooke called from inside Haley's closet. "Are you, Tutor Girl?"

"Not at the moment," Haley said, rolling over onto her stomach so that she could look at Brooke as she shuffled through Haley's dresses to find one appropriate for the evening. "But maybe one day. I mean, we probably won't 'shack up' but… I don't know…"

"I get what you're saying, Hales," Brooke interrupted, coming out of Haley's closet with a dark blue knee length dress. "What do you think of this one?"

"Nathan's favorite color is blue," Haley replied.

"I guess it's a yes then," Brooke laughed. "We're seriously going to have to go shopping sometime in the near future. I think you've been photographed in most of the dresses you've already got."

"You know," Haley said, sitting up on her bed. "It's not a crime to wear a dress more than once."

"Tutor Girl," Brooke said, shaking her head. "You're a celebrity. It's practically a felony for you to wear a dress more than once in public, and I, as your manager and best friend, refuse to let that happen."

"Fine, Brookie," Haley chuckled. "How about we go one day next week? I finished the album today, so I have some free time now."

"It's a date," Brooke said with a wink. "Now let's find you the perfect pair of shoes to go with that dress. I'm thinking silver stilettos."

Haley's cell phone rang and she reached across her bed to her nightstand to grab it.

"It's that's Boy Toy," Brooke called. "You tell him that it's going to be at least another hour and he can't come over until I say so."

"It's not Nathan," Haley said. "It's Vivian. I've been meaning to call her. Hey Vivy, how are the kids?"

Brooke heard Haley gasp and then the clatter of her phone hitting the hard wood floor. She quickly walked out of the closet as Haley scrambled down off her bed to grab her phone. Haley raised the phone back up to her ear with shaking hands and Brooke came over to sit next to her on the bed, wrapping her arms around her friend and leaning her chin on Haley's shoulder.

"Okay," Haley said softly. "I'll be there as soon as I can… Yes, Vivian. I know. Have you called everyone else? Okay. I'll get the first flight I can. How long until… Okay… Yeah, I know… Vivian, I know… I'll see… Of course I'm coming… Don't even go there, Viv... Okay… I'll see you soon."

"What's going on?" Brooke asked after Haley had hung up the phone.

Instead of answering, Haley turned in Brooke's arms and buried her face in her best friend's shoulder. Brooke felt the fabric of her shirt grown damp from Haley's tears and she rubbed soothing circles up and down Haley's back. Haley didn't sob. Except for the dampening cotton against her skin and the shuddery breath every now and then, Brooke wouldn't have even known she was crying. Suddenly she heard the front door open and Lucas called out. She called him to come back to Haley's room and he stopped in his tracks when he saw Haley wrapped up in Brooke's arms crying.

"What should we do?" Brooke asked softly. "She won't tell me what's wrong."

"Call Nathan," Lucas said and then sighed painfully. "Give me her phone and I'll do it."

"I can do it, Luke," Brooke said, knowing that calling his brother would be hard for Lucas.

"No," he replied. "I can do it. You stay with Haley."

…

Nathan finished buttoning up the buttons on his black long sleeve shirt and stepped back to look at himself in the mirror. He was wearing the button-up and a nice pair of dark jeans with his favorite sneakers. He still wasn't all that comfortable in any other type of footwear when he could avoid it. Satisfied with his appearance, he walked over to his dresser and grabbed his wallet to tuck it into his back pocket. He'd just picked up his cell phone to tuck it into another pocket when it started to vibrate in his hand. He smiled when he saw Haley's face pop up on the screen and pressed the talk button before bringing it up to his hear.

"Hey, baby," he said. "I was about to leave to come pick you up."

"This isn't Haley," a familiar voice replied. "It's Lucas."

"Lucas?" Nathan frowned. "Where's Haley? Why do you have her phone? Is everything okay? Is Haley okay?"

"No, Nathan," Lucas replied. "Haley's not okay. Her sister called and we don't know what she said, but whatever it was, it was really bad. Haley won't talk Brooke or me."

"I'm on my way," Nathan replied, snatching his keys off the dresser and practically sprinting for the door. "Take care of her for me, okay Luke? I'll be there in about thirty minutes."

"Sure thing," Lucas said.

Nathan wasn't there in thirty minutes. He was there in fifteen. He was pretty sure he'd broken about thirty different traffic laws to get there so fast, but Haley was hurting and little things like speeding didn't matter. He'd also nearly crushed an elderly couple in their tiny Honda Civic with his Escalade, but didn't particularly care about that either. The door to the apartment was unlocked and he ran inside and back to Haley's room. The sight in front of him nearly broke his heart.

Haley was laying there on her bed with her head in Brooke's lap as Brooke softly stroked her hair. Tears were coursing down in cheeks in a silent rain and her eyes looked so lifeless. Lucas was pacing back and forth nervously, running his fingers through his hair helplessly ever few seconds. All three of them looked up at him when he walked into the room and Haley immediately sprung up off the bed and threw herself at him.

She launched herself into his arms and he had to take a step back at the sudden impact. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, clinging to him like he was the only thing keeping her from drowning. He held her tightly against him for a moment before shifting her up a little higher against him and carried her over to the bed like one might carry an exhausted toddler. Nathan motioned Brooke and Lucas towards the door and Brooke sprang up off the bed. Lucas looked at him a little skeptically, but Brooke grabbed his arm and dragged him out the room, closing the door softly behind them.

Nathan carefully laid down on the bed with Haley sprawled across his chest and rubbed her back softly as she continued to cry, soaking the soft fabric of his shirt. As he rubbed her back, he whispered comforting words in her ear and every now and then would kiss the top of her head. He knew at that moment what she needed was to be held. Words would come eventually. Slowly, she released the stranglehold she had around his neck and her tears stopped flowing. He continued to rub her back in slow circles until her breathing returned to normal and he felt her sigh against him.

"You want to tell me what's wrong?" he asked softly.

"My sister called," Haley replied.

"Okay…"

"My parents were in an accident in Kansas," she continued emotionlessly. "They were in their RV and a gust of wind pushed them onto the other side of the road into oncoming traffic. They didn't make it. My parents are dead. They're gone."

"Shh, baby," he said, squeezing her lightly. "It's gonna be okay."

"Vivian, my oldest sister, is having their bodies sent back to Texas," Haley said with a heavy sigh. "That's where I'm from. I don't know if I ever told you that."

"You did," he said and then kissed the top of her head again.

"I'm supposed to be finding a flight to Texas right now," she sighed again and then snuggled a little closer to Nathan. "Vivian's going to be pissed if I take too long to get there. I guess all of my siblings are coming. It's a good thing Vivy has a really big house. Her husband's family is in oil or something."

"Why don't you let me take care of booking us flights?" he suggested. "And I'll send Brooke in to help you pack."

"You're coming with me?" she asked hopefully, looking up at him with her large sad brown eyes.

"Of course I am, baby," he said. "There's no way I would let you go through this by yourself."

"Thank you," she said, closing her eyes and sagging against him.

They laid there like that for a few more minutes before Haley slowly rolled off of him so that he could get up and go make the flight arrangements. She got off the bed and went into the bathroom to splash her face with cold water and he went out into the kitchen where Brooke and Lucas wee waiting anxiously.

"What's going on?" Brooke asked as soon as Nathan closed Haley's bedroom door behind him.

"Haley's parents were in a car accident," he said. "They didn't make it. We're flying out to Texas tonight."

"Oh, god," Brooke said, sagging against the counter. "Poor Haley! Her parents were really nice people. I only met them a couple of times, but they were really nice."

"Yeah," Lucas agreed. "They were. How's she taking it?"

"I think she's still in shock right now," Nathan said, leaning against the kitchen island across from Lucas and Brooke. "Brooke, could you go help her pack? I don't know how long we'll be gone. I guess about a week or so."

"I'll take care of it," Brooke said, nodding her head, and then made her way back to Haley's room.

Both men watched her go and then Nathan sagged even further against the counter, supporting most of his weight on his forearms. He hung his head for a minute before straightening up and digging his phone out of his pocket. He called Jake to have him arrange a flight for them and then sighed heavily as he slid the phone back into his pocket.

"She doesn't deserve this," he said, leaning back against the counter behind him.

"Tell me about it," Lucas said, running his fingers through his hair.

"You know," Nathan said. "I don't get it. I never met Haley's parents, but I know they were good people. They didn't deserve to die. Yet, Dan, who's probably the biggest asshole on the planet, is probably going to outlive all of us."

"Do you really hate him that much?" Lucas asked with a frown.

"Yeah," Nathan said. "I do. I know I said this the other day at my session, but you really are the luck one, Luke. Don't forget that."

"I won't," Lucas nodded. "Do you ever wonder what life would have been like if Dan had chosen my mom over yours?"

"I used to," Nathan shrugged. "Back in high school I used to wish all the time that it was you he was riding instead of me. But, maybe it all worked out for the best in the end. I mean, if things hadn't worked out this way, I probably never would have made it to the NBA. I probably wouldn't have met Haley… We probably never would have seen each other again."

"We probably wouldn't have," Lucas agreed. "Do you think maybe we've been given some sort of cosmic second chance to get to know each other or whatever?"

"Maybe," Nathan shrugged. "Or maybe we're just lucky or something. But if you want to, I'd like for us to try. I'm not saying either one of us is really ready to be brothers yet, but I'd like for us to at least try to be friends. We are dating best friends after all."

"I'd like that too," Lucas said.

"Okay," Brooke said, leading Haley into the kitchen and dragging a large black rolling suitcase. "Tutor Girl's all packed and ready to go."

"You ready, baby?" Nathan asked.

Haley nodded as Nathan took the handle of the suitcase from Brooke and started wheeling it towards the door. She turned back to Brooke and Lucas and hugged both of them tightly for a moment.

"If you need us," Lucas whispered into her ear. "We'll be on the first flight out there."

"Thanks, Luke," she said tearfully. "I'll be fine. I've got Nathan."

Lucas watched as Nathan wrapped his free arm tightly around Haley's shoulders as he led her towards the door. He couldn't help but sigh painfully after the door had closed behind them. Haley was his best friend. It stung a little that she didn't seem to need him during one of the most difficult times in her life, but it was also a testament to how far Nathan had come since their days back in Tree Hill. Maybe they could be friends. Maybe, one day, they could even be brothers.

A/N: I'm sorry I'm posting this so late in the day. I tried to write this chapter without having an exact song Haley was singing and I just wasn't feeling it. I wanted all her songs to actually be the ones that Bethany Joy Galeotti sings and then I found "The Right Time," which she only sings the backup vocals for and Amber Sweeney sings the main vocals, but it seemed very Naley in this story. So it was perfect and I just had to add it in. If you haven't heard the song, I totally recommend looking it up on youtube because it's great. As always, I love you hear from ya'll and hope you leave a review.

P.S. This thing has over 15,000 hits. I'm pretty much in shock over that. I never thought this story would be so popular. Thank you, all of my awesome readers. I love you all tremendously. Oh, and I think I've come to a decision on the Chris Keller issue, but ya'll will just have to wait and see what I decided. However, if anyone wants to cast any last minute votes, if you present a very good arguement I might reconsider. We'll just have to see.


	12. The Ones Left Behind

"Hales, Haley," Nathan said, shaking her shoulder lightly. "It's time to wake up, baby. The plane's gonna land in a few minutes."

Haley looked around groggily and stretched her arms out in front of her. She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes before looking up at Nathan as the weight of everything that had happened in the last six hours once again sank in.

Six hours ago her oldest sister had called her and told her their parents were dead and then insinuated that she didn't care enough to return to Texas for the funeral. She hadn't told Nathan about Vivian's accusation. She didn't want him to think badly of her family before he even met them. It was true that she'd never gone back to Briar Creek after graduating high school. It was true that she didn't go home for holidays or birthdays or anniversaries. But that didn't mean she didn't care. For the longest time it had been because she couldn't afford it. Then it was just something she'd never done. But that didn't mean that she didn't love her family and didn't care. She always called and she'd seen everyone when she'd played in Dallas on her last tour. Sometimes though, everyone made her feel like it wasn't enough.

Five hours ago she'd left her apartment with Nathan so they could go pack his bags. He'd been so sweet and supportive it had almost brought her to tears again. She'd sat on his bed wrapped in a blanket that he'd magically procured out of thin air as he scrambled around his room trying to throw everything he could possibly need into a duffle bag. She'd reminded him that he would need a suit for the funeral and then he'd sat next to her on the bed for ten minutes as she cried again. She probably would have cried longer but Jake had called to tell them that he'd found them a flight to Dallas. Haley's home town was closer to Austin, but the flight to Dallas had been the first available. There wasn't a flight into Austin for twelve hours.

Four hours ago they'd gotten to the airport and been mobbed by the paparazzi. She wasn't sure where the vultures came from, but all of a sudden they were swooping down on her and Nathan as they walked into the airport, Nathan holding his duffle bag and dragging her suitcase along as well. He'd almost lost it when one of the photographers shoved a camera into Haley's tear-stained face and security had to get involved. That was going to end up in the tabloids.

Three hours and thirty minutes ago they'd gotten on the plane and the damn flight attendant had asked her so many times if she needed anything she'd completely snapped. Haley was almost certain she was going to go to the tabloids and say what a bitch Haley James was when she flew commercial. It wouldn't matter that her parents had just died. The only thing that would matter was that she'd snapped at a poor unsuspecting flight attendant over offering her a bag of pretzels one too many times. That was two unfavorable stories about her and Nathan from one trip to the airport.

Two hours ago Nathan had finally convinced her to get some rest and she'd fallen asleep curled up in his arms. He'd raised the arm rest between their seats and let her cuddle up against him. He'd rubbed her back soothingly as she drifted off to sleep and she'd been able to rest dreamlessly with him so close. She hadn't wanted to sleep at first, afraid that her parents would haunt her dreams, but Nathan's presence had somehow kept the nightmares away. She'd thought getting to sleep had been difficult, but waking up to a world where her parents didn't exist anymore was the hard part.

He watched as her amber eyes filled with pain and his arms immediately surrounded her, holding her tightly against him. He felt her sag in his arms and once again started to softly rub her back. That always seemed to sooth her. The seatbelt light came on and Haley moved away from him so that she could buckles hers before the plane slowly started its descent. She laced her fingers through his and held his hand tightly as the plane landed. A few minutes later she was officially back in Texas and on her way home for the first time since she was eighteen.

It was just after one o'clock in the morning when their plane landed. The terminal was fairly empty and they were thankful for the privacy as they made their way towards the baggage claim. Nathan stood there waiting for their bags as Haley went over to the rental car counter to pick up the keys to the SUV Jake had ordered for them and have it brought around to their exit. Haley's oldest brother had called offering to come pick them up when their flight got in, but she'd declined saying that it would be easier if they had their own car while they were there.

"You get the car, babe?" Nathan asked as she walked over to him.

"It'll be at the door in about five minutes," Haley said. "There's my bag. I can get it myself, you know. It does have wheels."

"Now what kind of boyfriend would I be if I let my girlfriend get her own bags?" he said as he pulled her bag off the conveyor belt, trying to lighten her mood.

"A normal one," she said with a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Well, maybe I don't want to be normal," he said, grabbing his duffle bag.

"Would you still get my bag if it was zebra print like Brooke's?" she asked.

"You'd be on your own," he said, causing her to chuckle as they made their way out of the airport. "Are you ready for this?"

"Honestly?" Haley sighed. "No. I haven't seen most of my siblings in about a year. We're pretty scattered. I just wish we were all together again for a different reason."

"It's gonna be okay, baby," he said, lifting their bags into the back of the SUV. "We're staying with your sister, right?"

"Yeah," Haley said. "She's got this huge house just outside Briar Creek. Her father-in-law is some sort of oil tycoon or something and both she and her husband are corporate lawyers. I think everyone is staying with her. Just watch out for my sister, Taylor, okay? She has a thing of other sisters' boyfriends."

"Well, it's a good thing I only have a thing for girls named Haley James," he said, leaning down to kiss her softly before walking her around to the passenger side of the car to open her door for her.

…

Nathan had fully expected Haley to fall back asleep once they were in the car, but she surprised him by staying awake the whole ride to give him directions. The SUV had a GPS and the rental company had programmed in Vivian's address for him, but he didn't use it. He knew she needed to feel useful and didn't even bother turning it on. At first she'd chatted about all of her siblings, telling him a little about each one and their families, but as the miles had gone on she'd grown more and more silent as she stared out the window into the black night.

"Turn left at the next street," Haley said, not looking at him. "It'll be the last driveway on your right."

"I'm impressed that you remember how to get her," Nathan said as he turned onto the street Haley had indicated.

"Briar Creek is really small," she shrugged. "It's hard to forget."

"Are you really okay with this, baby?" he asked. "We can find a hotel for tonight and come back in the morning when you're well-rested."

"Vivian's waiting up for us," she said. "I really don't want to deal with her bitching over staying up half the night and then us not showing up."

"If you're sure…"

"It'll be fine, Nathan," Haley said, attempting to smile at him. "My family's really not as bad as I'm making you think. I'm just sad and tired and…"

"I get it," he said, reaching over to squeeze her knee. "Is this the driveway?"

"Yeah," she said "This is it."

Vivian's driveway was nearly a mile long. Haley didn't say anything as they approached the house, but sighed when it came into view. The massive red brick Southern style plantation house was something to be marveled at. It was easily twice the size of Nathan's mansion with a wide front porch that wrapped around the entire house.

"Kind of ostentatious, isn't it?" Haley said as Nathan pulled in behind a mud splattered dark blue pickup truck. "Vivy won't let me live it down that my entire apartment is smaller than her bedroom. Please don't tell her I said that."

"I wasn't going to, Hales," he assured her, cutting off the engine.

The front door opened just after Haley shut her car door and what looked like an older version of Haley with dark brown hair came running out. Nathan guessed that she was probably about ten years older than Haley with dark hair pulled back in a messy bun. She had a white silky robe over her pajama pants and white slippers on her feet as she came rushing out of the house to embrace Haley.

"I'm so glad you're here, Haley Bop," Vivian said as she embraced her younger sister. "Everyone else got here a couple of hours ago and have already gone to bed."

"We got on the first plane we could, Vivy," Haley said, returning her sister's embrace with less gusto.

"You must be Nathan," Vivian said as she stepped back away from Haley. "I'm Vivian Reynolds, Haley's oldest sister."

"It's nice to meet you," Nathan said with a faint smile, sticking out his hand for her to shake. "I wish it was under better circumstances."

"You're practically family now," Vivian said, ignoring his hand and moving to hug him. "Families hug."

Nathan's eyes widened a little as the woman moved to embrace him, and Haley couldn't help but chuckle a little under her breath at his bewildered expression. It was obvious that hugging was not something the Scott family did very often. He patted Vivian awkwardly on her back as she hugged him and breathed a huge sigh of relief when she finally let him go.

"Let me show you two to your room," Vivian said after Nathan had gotten both of their bags out of the car.

The house was as impressive from the inside was it was from the out. Vivian gave a few descriptions of her favorite pieces of furniture or whatever as they passed, but promised a full tour sometime during their visit. She finally stopped in front of a white door on the third floor and pushed it open. The room she led them into looked like something out of a five star hotel. The bed was most likely a California king with a silky light blue and gold patterned duvet cover and an ornate wrought iron frame. A blue and cream carpet was beneath the bed with gold accents to match the duvet. A heavy looking mahogany dresser sat across from the bed with a large plasma screen TV hanging over it. Nathan could see two doors in the room and figured they led to the closet and a bathroom, but was too tired to explore which one was which.

Almost as soon as Vivian left them, Haley dug her pajamas out of her suitcase and went into what he assumed was the bathroom to change. He stripped out of his jeans and t-shirt right there in the room and climbed in beneath the covers, fighting to stay awake until Haley got into bed as well.

"You're okay with this, right?" he asked after she came out of the bathroom. "Sharing a bed and all?"

"It's fine," she replied, climbing into bed next to him. "I'd rather not be alone right now."

"I'm right here, baby," he said softly, gathering her into his arms and pulling her close. "I'm right here if you need me."

"Why can't we ever just be happy, Nathan?" she asked softly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean every time you and I get to a good place, something else goes wrong," Haley said.

"I don't know why that is," he said. "But I do know that I love you, Hales, and I know that I'm not going anywhere. I'm holding on to you too, remember?"

"God, was that really only a few hours ago?" she said, snuggling against him. "It feels like another lifetime, and I love you too."

Haley snuggled closer against his chest as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. He felt her tense muscles relax against him and she sighed quietly. Nathan pressed a kiss to the top of her head and then closed his eyes. He easily drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the beautiful woman in his arms.

…

Rest didn't come so easily for Haley. Being back in Texas was unsettling. It was so hard being there without her parents. The house she'd grown up in had been sold years ago, but the town contained so many memories. The entire drive, all she could think about was all the times she'd passed the familiar landmarks with her parents. She remembered trips to the mall with her mother, going with her father to his favorite lake for a day of fishing. She remembered sitting at the counter in the diner with her siblings getting milkshakes on hot summer days with sticky moist dollar bills their mother had pressed into their hands before they'd left for the community pool that morning. She felt like her brain was swimming with all the memories and rest just wasn't coming as easily she she'd hoped.

She slowly extricated herself from Nathan's tight embrace without waking him and grabbed her silky lavender bathrobe that matched the sleep shorts she was wearing. She figured a glass of water would help her sleep and quietly slipped down to the first floor to find the kitchen. Vivian's kitchen was full of state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances that Haley was fairly certain her sister never used, but it was fairly easy to locate a glass and fill it with water out of the dispenser on the door of the fridge.

As she was making her way back towards the stairs, she noticed the faint glow from the TV screen coming from Vivian's living room and made her way towards it to see who else was awake. Her bear of a brother, Matt, was sitting up in the couch bed looking at a DVD case in his hands. He had reddish blonde hair and Haley's chocolaty brown eyes. He smiled as soon as he looked up and saw Haley and she immediately made her way over to him

"Hey, Matty," she said. "What are you doing up? Where's Lily?"

"Lily's in her third trimester," Haley's oldest brother, Matt, said. "She couldn't come with me. She's at home with Teddy. Ana came though. She's upstairs in Allie's room."

Matt had been married for six years to his wife, Lily, and had two children with one on the way. Ana was five and was almost a miniature version of her Aunt Haley and Teddy was three with Lily's blonde hair and big blue eyes. Matt had met Lily in his last year playing for the Patriots when he'd visited a camp for kids with disabilities where Lily had been a counselor. The petite blue eyed blonde had given him a run for his money and Matt said that he'd fallen fast and hard. They'd been inseparable ever since their wedding and it was weird to see her big brother without his better half.

"That doesn't answer why you're still awake," Haley said, carefully taking a seat on the bed next to her brother. "And why aren't you in a bedroom?"

"I could be asking you the same question," Matt replied. "And I told Vivian not to bother with a room for me. I figure it'll be easier for Ana to find me if she has a nightmare or whatever if I'm down here. All of those doors in Vivian's hallways look the same. Besides, the DVD collection is down here. Guess what I found."

"Vivian doesn't seriously have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on DVD, does she?" Haley asked incredulously as she set her cup on one of the end tables next to the couch and grabbed the plastic case out of his hand.

"Seasons one, two and three," Matt said, grinning.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Haley laughed, scrambling off the bed and towards the DVD player.

She popped in the first DVD from season one and then snuggled back into the bed next to her big brother. The James siblings had spent many a Saturday morning watching the cartoon show together. Matt was twelve years older than Haley and the diverse age range of the siblings had made it difficult to find a show they were all willing to watch, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles could always be agreed upon.

"Do I hear Donatello?" a sleepy voice asked.

"Brian!"

Brian was the elder of Haley's twin brothers by three minutes. He was very proud of those three minutes and held them over his twin Chris's head every chance he got. At 6'8" he towered over all of his siblings, except for his twin of course, who stood at 6'6". He had long curly reddish blonde hair like Matt's, but had their father's blue eyes. Brian was also the self-proclaimed confirmed bachelor of the family. At twenty nine, he had no intention of ever settling down and was more than happy with going from cheerleader to cheerleader. Their mother, however, had always been fairly certain he was going to end up married with more kids than all the rest of them put together.

"Hey, Haley Bop," Brian said as he made his way into the room and took a seat next to her on the bed. "When did you get here?"

"About an hour or so ago," she said.

"Shh," Matt said. "I'm trying to hear this."

"You three are going to wake the kids up," Vivian scolded as she walked into the room.

"Don't be such a tight ass, Viv," Brian said. "The kids are all on the second floor. There's no way they're going to hear us. Now come over here and watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with us."

"I haven't watched this show in like ten years," Vivian said with a smile, lingering next to the edge of the sofa bed without actually climbing on.

"Which explains why you have it on DVD," Matt said.

"It was on sale and I was feeling nostalgic," Vivian replied. "Does anyone feel like popcorn?"

"Not it!" Haley, Brian and Matt called.

"You guys suck, you know that?"

"We love you too, Vivy," Haley said as Vivian got up off the bed to make her way into the kitchen as Quinn walked into the room.

Quinn was Haley's second oldest sister and had just turned 30. She was the only sibling with naturally dark hair and had blue eyes like Brian and Chris. She'd married her husband David two years before and they were both photographers. They'd recently spent six months in Uganda and had come back with the intention of starting a family. They hadn't had any luck in their last few months, but hadn't given up trying.

"What's everyone doing awake?" she asked.

"Watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," Brian said.

"Ooh!" Quinn nearly squealed. "I had the biggest crush on Rafael."

"I am so telling David you had a crush on a fictional turtle," Brian taunted.

"Hey!" Quinn said. "He was a ninja crime fighting turtle! What's not to love? And if you tell David that, I'll tell that cheerleader you're dating that you slept with Vivian's old My Little Pony night light on in your room until you were twelve."

"You wouldn't dare…"

"Just try me," Quinn replied. "Or I could always tell her about those footie pajamas with the pink bunnies on them.'

"Those were comfortable!" Brian said. "And if you mention them, I'll tell David about that shrine in your closet dedicated to Zack from Saved by the Bell."

"If you do that, then I'll…"

"Alright, children," Vivian interrupted as she walked back into the room carrying two bowls of popcorn. "That's enough."

"Thanks, Vivy," Haley said as she took one of the bowls from her sister and set it in her lap.

"Do I smell popcorn?" another voice called out as Haley's last brother and Brian's twin, Chris, walked into the room.

Although he was two inches shorter than his twin, they were still nearly mirror images of each other. Sometimes Haley still had problems telling them apart when they were together. It seemed a lot simpler when they were apart for some reason. Like his twin, he was still single with little intention of settling down in the near future, but wasn't as opposed to marriage as Brian supposedly was.

"We're watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Chris," Quinn called out. "Come join us."

Haley wasn't sure how she and her five siblings all fit onto that pullout couch, but they did. She was sandwiched between Matt and Quinn right in the middle of it all. Brian kept reaching his long arm around to steal popcorn out of her bowl as Vivian was getting rather possessive of the one she'd held onto and Chris was shoveling the stuff down like he hadn't eaten in a weak. Haley sighed as she settled back on the couch bed with her legs stretched out in front of her.

"I feel kind of guilty," she confessed quietly, staring down at the popcorn bowl rather than at the TV screen as the credits from the third episode they'd watched started to roll. "We're having fun without them…"

"They would want us to, Haley Bop," Quinn said, squeezing her sister's hand. "Besides, it's going to be a really sad day. We're going to have to go to the coroner's office and… It's just going to be a really sad day. Let's just enjoy these last few hours together. We can be sad when the sun comes up."

They all nodded in agreement and Matt wrapped an arm around Haley and squeezed her shoulders lightly. She settled back against her big brother and looked down just in time to see Brian snag the last handful of popcorn out of the clear plastic bowl in her lap. Quinn reached over and smacked him playfully, causing everyone but Brian to laugh as he dropped most of the popcorn all over the bed.

"You know what we need," Haley said after a few minutes. "Some of Vivian's cookies. God, I used to love those things."

"Don't remind us," Brian grumbled.

"Why?"

"Because they turned you into a traitor," Chris said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Vivian used to give you those cookies so that you would tell on us," Brian said. "You were like an evil genius as a kid, Hales. You came up with all kinds of plans for us to play tricks on people. Then Vivian would tempt you with cookies and get you to spill your guts so she could get us in trouble before we ever got to do them."

"I didn't always tell Vivian," Haley said defensively.

"Oh yes you did," Chris said. "Vivian gave you one of those damn oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and you sang like a canary."

"Worked every time," Vivian said proudly as she smacked Chris's hand when he reached for more popcorn. "If I remember correctly, I saved the Johnson's cat several times."

"It was only a couple of water balloons," Brian said.

"Well, there was the time we tried to tie a firecracker to its tail," Chris said. "Which was totally your idea, Hales.'

"I totally remember that now," Haley laughed. "I wanted to scare the pants off Mary Harper. She was having a tea party and didn't invite me. That cat would have been perfect if you hadn't stopped us, Viv."

"Remember the time the boys tried to bake Vivy's cookies themselves?" Quinn asked. "They almost burnt the house down."

"That was totally Brian's fault," Chris said. "I knew you weren't supposed to bake them for two hours, but Brian swore you were."

"Twelve minutes, two hours," Brian shrugged sheepishly. "What's the difference?"

"Three fire trucks and a police car," Matt interjected. "Mom and Dad were so pissed and then they grounded me because I was supposed to be watching you two knuckleheads."

"But you were on the phone with your _girlfriend_," Vivian taunted. "You remember all of those ridiculous pet names he used to come up with?"

"Sugar muffin," Brian said

"Honey lips," Haley laughed.

"Sugar doll," Quinn said.

"Is it just me," Chris said. "Or where they all food related?"

"Well, Matt was _always_ thinking about food," Vivian said.

"I was a growing boy!" Matt said, raising his hands defensively. "And all of that food got me a career in the NFL. Besides, I certainly remember the way Vivian _drooled_ over those fireman."

"Good times," Quinn chuckled, resting her head against Haley's shoulder. "Those firemen were hot too."

"They wouldn't even give me the time of day," Vivian sighed dramatically. "It broke my poor little fifteen-year-old heart."

"Speaking of boys, did our little Haley Bop bring her boyfriend home with her?" Chris asked.

"He's upstairs," she said, looking down at her lap rather than up at her siblings. She'd never really dated when she still lived in Texas and knew her siblings were probably going to tease her mercilessly about it.

"You know, Hales," Brian said. "If you wanted to meet Nathan Scott, you really didn't have to get thrown from that horse. You could have just asked Chris and me or come to our game when we played the Lakers."

"I did not get thrown from a horse just to meet Nathan," she said, reaching over to smack her brother. "My accident was before his, remember?"

"Well, you do have a history," Quinn said. "You remember when you wanted to meet Billy Richards your freshman year of high school?"

"You definitely threw yourself down a flight of stairs," Chris said.

"I did not!" Haley replied indignantly. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and missed a step. I didn't do it just so that I could meet Billy. Besides, he was a jerk anyway."

"He had great hair though," Quinn sighed. "But he never gave any of us James girls the time of day. Well, except for maybe Taylor."

"All the boys noticed Taylor," Vivian said.

"Oh yeah," Brian said. "We had to beat up quite a few guys in the locker room over the way they were talking about her. It was all true, but we couldn't let anyone talk about our sister like that."

Haley could feel her own eyelids getting heavier as they continued to reminisce. She snuggled closer to Matt and let her head rest on his broad shoulder. Chris stretched out at their feet and Brian and Vivian were on Matt's other side. One by one they all dropped off to sleep as their favorite cartoon show continued to play in the background. Quinn was right when she said that it was going to be a sad day. It had been nice that for a few hours they could forget about all of that sadness and just enjoy being together again.

…

The first thing Nathan noticed when he woke up was that Haley wasn't in bed with him. Her side of the bed was cold, so he knew she hadn't been in bed with him in a long time. She wasn't in the bathroom or the closet, so he pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt before making his way down stairs. The house was still silent, so he figured no one else was awake yet until he made it down to the first floor and smelled the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee. He followed the smell, hoping it would lead him towards the kitchen, but stopped when he saw a woman who looked a little like Haley with light brown hair standing in a doorway. `

"You must be Nathan," she said, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

"You must be Taylor," he replied, peaking into the room and seeing what he assumed to be all of the James siblings, minus Taylor of course, in a tangled heap on a pull out sofa bed. He could just see the top of Haley's head peeking out from where she was nestled between her brother and sister. "Why aren't you in there with them?"

"I don't get invited to join James sibling reunions," she said, a little spitefully. "So, you're actually dating Haley?"

"Yeah," he said.

"Good luck with that."

"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown.

"Haley's never been known to stick around," Taylor shrugged. "This is the first time she's been home in six years. Mom used to call her her little rolling stone."

"Okay…"

"Just don't get too attached," Taylor warned, pushing away from the door frame. "Nothing gets between Haley James and her ambitions. If you think she'll choose you over her career, you've got another thing coming."

"I wouldn't ask Haley to do that," he said.

Taylor snorted quietly and then made her way towards the kitchen as Haley started to stir. She slowly extricated herself from under Matt's arm and stretched sleepily before catching sight of Nathan standing in the doorway. She slowly climbed over her siblings and out of bed before going over to him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I was worried when I woke up without you," he said, hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I got up to get a glass of water and found Matt watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Somehow we all ended up down here."

"All of you except Taylor," he said quietly.

"Oh, god," Haley groaned, burring her face in his chest. "She saw us, didn't she?"

"Yeah," Nathan said. "She was standing here when I came down stairs."

"She's gonna be such a bitch about this," Haley said. "I swear we didn't plan it. It just kind of happened. But that's not going to matter to Taylor."

Nathan just stood there silently, rubbing her back, and Haley looked up at him searching his face to try to figure out what was going on. She could imagine that it had been a little unsettling waking up alone, but she didn't think he was mad at her for it.

"Did Taylor say anything to you?" she asked.

"Nothing important," he replied.

"Nathan," Haley sighed. "Taylor… Sometimes she says things just to cause problems. Don't take it to heart, okay?"

"I won't," he said, still rubbing her back.

Haley nodded and then tucked her head under his chin as the weight of the day settled down around her shoulders. Quinn had been right. It was going to be a sad day. She could feel the sadness wrap around her heart like a heavy wet wool blanket. But being there in Nathan's arms made it better. She held onto him a little tighter and felt him kiss the top of her head as her siblings started to stir. It was going to be a sad day, but Nathan made it better. He always made it better.

A/N: So, here's another beast of a chapter for me. Lots of words. I know there weren't a lot of Naley moments in this chapter. I just felt like we needed to get a better sense of Haley away from Nathan and some background information on Haley's family since they'll be playing a big role over the next couple of chapters. I would also like to say that my 15 to 20 chapter story has grown and is now probably going to be more like 25 chapters, maybe 30. We'll just have to see. So, read and review! I love to hear what ya'll have to say! It makes my day and then I write more chapters faster and ya'll won't have to wait for them.


	13. Photograph

Quinn had been beyond right when she'd said it was going to be a sad day. Haley hadn't even gone to the coroner's office with Vivian and Matt, but the knowledge that her parents' bodies had officially been identified was weighing heavily on her heart. After returning from the coroner's office, Vivian had called all of the siblings into her dining room and they'd sat there trying to come up with a plan for the funeral and what they wanted done with the bodies.

"They'd want to be cremated, Viv," Quinn said. "You know that's what they would want. They wouldn't want to be stuffed into boxes and stuck in the ground. They'd want to be free."

"I think we should go the traditional route,' Vivian replied stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, don't we want to be able to take our kids to visit them?"

"Mom and Dad wouldn't be in those holes in the ground," Brian argued.

"Let's just not fight," Haley sighed, burying her face in her hands. "Does this really matter?"

"Of course it does," Taylor said. "Do you not even care?"

"Of course I care, Taylor," she replied. "But I don't think Mom and Dad would really care. I think they'd just want to be together."

"It's not like you even really knew that anymore," Taylor said.

"Taylor!" Matt said. "Don't."

"When's the last time she visited them, Matt?' Taylor said. "When's the last time she visited any of us?"

"Says the girl who hasn't had a permanent address for six years," Brian interjected.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Quinn said, pounding her fist on Vivian's mahogany table. "Why don't we just take a vote? There's seven of us, so majority will rule."

"I think that's a brilliant idea, Quinny," Chris said. "All in favor of cremation raise you right hand."

Chris, Brian, Haley, Matt and Quinn all raised their hands, leaving Vivian and Taylor to stare sullenly at their siblings. The five in favor lowered their hands and they sat there in silence at the table, all staring down at the polished wood as they tried to gather their thoughts as to what to decide on next.

"Well," Vivian said. "I guess this means that we don't have to decide what wood their coffins should be or what they should wear."

"Viv," Matt said. "We still have to pick out urns."

"Okay," Haley said. "Where do we want to have the funeral?"

"It won't really be a funeral since we're not burying them," Vivian said. "It'll be a memorial service."

"Fine," Quinn said. "Where do we want to have the memorial service?"

It went on like that for nearly two hours with either Vivian or Taylor protesting everything anyone said. Haley was about ready to pull her hair out by the time they all left the table. She almost immediately got herself a glass of wine and then escaped to the back porch. She sat down in one of the cedar Adirondack chairs that looked out on Vivian's large back yard and closed her eyes, trying to block out all of the sadness and the pain that had weighed down upon her all day. She'd volunteered to be on "child watch" as her siblings continued to argue and Vivian's three kids, Allie and the twins Parker and Patrick, were running around trying to catch fireflies with Matt's daughter, Ana.

She heard footsteps creak on the wood floor of the deck and then felt hands on her shoulders softly start to knead the tension out of them. The tingles on her skin let her know it was Nathan and she continued to sit there with her eyes closed as he massaged her shoulders through the material of her simple black wrap dress.

"That feels great," she said after a long silence. "Where've you been?"

"I went with David and Peter to go pick up dinner," Nathan said. "We got spaghetti from that little Italian place in town. David figured no one would feel like cooking after the day you all have had."

"That was sweet," she said, reaching up to grab his hand and lacing her fingers through his. "What'd you think of David and Peter?"

"David's cool," he replied. "He's a Lakers fan. The whole photography thing's a little beyond me, but he knows his basketball."

"I figured you'd like him," Haley said with a faint smile as Nathan came around to sit in the chair next to hers. "And Peter?"

"I can tell he's a lawyer," Nathan said with a smirk.

"How's that?"

"He talks more than Brooke."

Haley chuckled a little and reached over for Nathan's hand. He laced his fingers through hers and then brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it softly. She smiled at him weakly as he kissed her hand again and then took another sip of her wine. Sitting there next to him made things a little easier. Raised voices drifted out from the dining room and she couldn't help but cringe. She set her wine glass down on the small table next to her chair and rubbed a hand over her eyes.

"I bet you five bucks Quinn's going to rush out here in about thirty seconds and demand I come inside for another vote," she said.

"Vote?"

"That's how we've been settling things all day," Haley sighed. "It's a good thing there's seven of us because if there'd been an even number I don't think we could have gotten anything done."

"Haley, come tell Vivian that we are not releasing a hundred white doves at Mom and Dad's memorial service," Quinn said after throwing open the white French doors with a bang.

"Told ya," Haley said with a hint of a grimace as she stood up. She grabbed her wine glass and downed the last of its contents before following her sister back into the house and Nathan could immediately hear the noise level coming from the dining room rise before the door silent slid closed. Nathan wasn't out there two minutes watching the kids before the door flung open again and Matt stalked out.

"Vivian's damn impossible," he swore as he sank into the chair Haley had just vacated. "You got any sisters?"

"No," Nathan replied a little awkwardly.

"Lucky," Matt sighed, running his fingers through his short coppery hair. "Got any siblings?"

"Um, I guess," Nathan said, still feeling awkward.

"That's kind of a yes or no question," Matt said, looking over at him skeptically.

"I have a half brother," Nathan replied. "We've never really gotten along, but I guess we're going to start working on it."

"You should," Matt said. "Work on it. So, how's a big shot NBA star like you come to start dating my baby sister?"

"I thought you all already knew the story" Nathan said.

"Oh, we've all heard," Matt replied. "You tell Viv something and the whole family knows in seven hours. But this is my baby sister we're talking about and I want to hear it from you."

"Well, as you probably know, we started doing rehab together after our accidents," Nathan said. "One day, I'm completely convinced that my life is pretty much over and then I met Haley and she changed everything. She changed me."

"The right girl can do that," Matt said with a faint smile. "I guess I don't have to say that if you hurt my baby sister I'll kill you."

"I actually already got that warning," Nathan chuckled and Matt looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "I met the guitarist in Haley's band yesterday, Andrew."

"Ah," Matt smirked. "Andrew. He was fun. Her whole band was fun."

"What?"

"Let's just say you're lucky we're dealing with our parents' funeral right now," Matt said, smiling sadly, his lips pressed together in a thin line. "Brian, Chris and I took her band out into the middle of nowhere and left them for about an hour. Told them we'd leave them out there forever if they ever hurt our Haley Bop."

"I'll consider myself warned," Nathan replied.

"Smart man," Matt said. "So, tell me a little about yourself."

"Is this the official interrogation?"

"Yes."

"What do you want to know?"

"What's your relationship like with your parents?" Matt asked after a pause.

"Not so great," Nathan sighed. "My mom's… Well… We don't get along too bad but my dad's another story."

"Would you say that gives you raging daddy issues?" Chris asked as he stepped out onto the back porch.

"What?"

"It's a simple question, man," Brian said as he followed his brother out onto the porch.

"Shouldn't you all be inside helping plan the funeral?" Nathan asked, his gaze darting between the three men.

"Vivian's damn impossible," Chris said, echoing Matt's sentiments from a few minutes before. "Now stop deflecting and answer the question."

Brian and Chris were both taller than Nathan and he felt especially short as he sat there in the low chair with the brothers flanking him on either side. To top it all off, all three of them were dressed entirely in black. It made Nathan feel like he'd just stepped into a mob movie or something as Chris and Brian stood there staring down at him and Matt eyeing him cautiously from the other Adirondack chair.

"I don't have raging daddy issues," Nathan replied after a pause, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh," Brian said. "Crossed arms. That's definitely a sign that he's hiding something."

"Most definitely," Chris said.

"What are you hiding, Scott?" Matt asked.

"I'm not hiding anything…"

"Will you three stop harassing Nathan and get your asses back in here please?" Haley called, sticking her head out the door and glaring at her brothers. "Vivian wants the official funerale colors to be sage green and chartreuse."

"Do funerals even have colors?" Brian asked.

"I thought everything was just supposed to be black," Matt said.

"Tell Vivian that," Haley replied.

"We'll continue this later, Matt said as he pulled himself up out of the chair and the three men trooped back inside.

"And you better be prepared to tell us what you're hiding, Scott," Brian called over his shoulder

Nathan heard a faint smacking sound and figured it was probably Haley smacking her brother upside the head. He chuckled a little to himself as he heard the door slide open again and Haley's brother-in-law, David, stepped out onto the porch and handed Nathan a beer.

"I figured you could use this after the inquisition," David said with a grin.

"Did you have to go through that?" Nathan said, taking a sip of the beer.

"Oh yeah," David chuckled, taking a seat in the chair Matt had just vacated. "They actually left me out in the desert for an hour or so. You really are lucky."

"It's nice," Nathan said after a pause. "That they care so much."

"Yeah," David agreed. "Damn annoying though when they start questioning you about your sex life. I thought they were going to castrate me when Quinn announced that we were having sex at the family Fourth of July picnic she dragged me to after we first started dating."

"Wow," Nathan said with raised eyebrows.

"It's not easy being with a girl who's got three professional athletes for brothers," David said.

"You can say that again," Nathan said.

"So, you and Haley serious?"

"I love her," Nathan replied.

"Good," David said. "She deserves the best, especially after what that asshole West put her through."

"I hear about that," Nathan said.

"He really did a number on her," David continued. "Quinn was really worried about her for a while. She and Vivian didn't think Haley would ever find someone she trusted again."

"I'm a pretty lucky guy then," Nathan said with a hint of a smile.

"You really are," David said after a pause. "Be careful with her though. She's a little more fragile than you might think. And don't listen to a word Taylor says. She tried to convince me Quinn was cheating on me the last time we saw her."

"What exactly is Taylor's issue anyway?" Nathan asked.

"You know," David said with a chuckle. "I don't really know. I don't think anyone knows, not even Taylor. Quinn tells me that she's always been like that though. I guess every family has to have some sort of trouble maker."

"I guess so," Nathan said and then took another swig of his beer.

"Seriously, man," David said. "Don't listen to her. You save yourself from a lot of fights if you just ignore what she says."

"I'll remember that," Nathan assured him as they sat there watching the kids run tirelessly around the back yard. Everyone seemed to be telling him not to listen to Taylor. Vivian had even said something to him that morning before they'd left for the morgue. He took another sip of his beer and then started up a different conversation with David about basketball. Basketball was a pretty safe subject. Basketball couldn't really involve Haley leaving him.

…

"Hey, Nathan," Quinn said as she held up a picture triumphantly. "Want to see a picture of Haley from back when she had headgear?"

"Give me that!" Haley cried, lunging across the coffee table at her sister. "I thought I'd burned all of those"

"You did," Matt said. "But Mom kept the negatives and had a few redeveloped not too long after you left for that fancy boarding school."

"That is just like her," Haley said, smiling a little sadly as she smoothed the photo that was now in her hand. "Was just like her anyway…"

It was a few hours after Nathan's conversation with David and the entire James family was gathered in Vivian's living room sorting through old family photos for pictures for the slideshow that would be shown at the funeral. They'd all changed out of the black clothes they'd been wearing all day and were in some semblance of nightwear. The kids had all been long since tucked into bed and that meant open containers of alcohol were littered across the room. Quinn, Haley and Vivian all each had a glass of wine and the boys had beers. Taylor, ever the standout, had snitched a bottle of scotch and was drinking it a little too quickly for her siblings' likings.

Haley was sitting down on the floor in front of the coffee table next to Nathan's legs as he sat behind her on the tan leather sofa. Quinn was just across the coffee table from Haley and Vivian was on the sofa near Nathan with a shoebox full of pictures between them. Brian and Chris had taken up the matching recliners over against the opposite wall and were currently arguing over who got to look at which photo album first. One was filled with pictures of relatives they barely knew and the other with pictures from their basketball glory days at Bear Creek High. Matt sat on the floor between them and snatched the more desired album out of Brian's hands and started flipping through it himself, leaving the twins to stare down at him, stunned.

"How old were you three here?" David asked from his place next to Quinn as he held up a picture of Haley, Vivian and his wife at the community pool for the three of them to inspect.

"Wow, that was a long time ago," Vivian said as she took the picture from him to get a better look. "I think that was the summer we taught Haley how to swim, so she must have been four. That means Vivian was seven and I was eleven."

"That was a good summer," Haley said with a faint smile as Vivian handed her the photo. "Wasn't that the year that Dad took us all camping all at once?"

"He never did that again," Brian laughed.

"What happened?" Nathan asked.

"Let's just say we had 'the battle of the sexes, James family style' out in the middle of nowhere," Matt said. "Without telling him of course."

"Daddy was so mad when we accidently filled his sleeping bag with dirt instead of Matt's," Vivian chuckled. "We only did it though because Matt put like seven lizards in mine."

"He never took all of us camping at once ever again," Chris said. "From that point on the boys and the girls got separate camping trips every year. Of course, you girls got lucky and Dad took ya'll during the summer. We had to wait until winter break. Remember the year it snowed the whole time we were out there?"

"I think we slept in the car every night trying to keep warm," Matt laughed. "Then we killed the battery and he made us hike the four miles to the ranger's station to get help."

"Sounds like you had a pretty fun childhood," Peter chimed in from where he was sitting over on the piano bench in front of the large Steinway that neither he nor Vivian could play.

"We really did," Quinn said and then suddenly the smile slid off her face. "Here's their wedding album…"

"We have to go through it," Vivian said softly. "It would look weird if we didn't have any pictures from their wedding in the slide show."

"I'll do it," Haley said and Quinn immediately handed the album over like it was burning her to touch it.

Haley slowly pulled back the cover and sighed painfully when she saw the first photo. The 8x11 black and white photo of Robert 'Jimmy' James and Lydia James nearly hurt to look at. They both looked so happy, Jimmy in his poorly cut tuxedo that he'd rented for all of ten bucks and Lydia in her lacy white dress. Their smiling faces stared up at Haley and brought tears to her eyes.

"I can't believe they're really gone," she said softly, tracing the picture with her fingertips.

"Well they are," Taylor said, slamming the photo album she'd been thumbing through shut and tossing it onto the coffee table with a bang. "And they're not coming back."

"Taylor!" Vivian scolded.

"Don't try to be Mom now, Viv," Taylor said, grabbing the neck of the bottle she'd been drinking out of. "You suck at it. I'm out of here."

"What crawled up her ass and died?" Brian asked after they heard a door upstairs slam.

"She's just hurting," Vivian said, trying to put on a brave face and not show how much her sister's words had affected her.

"We're all hurting," Chris said. "That doesn't give her a license to be a bitch."

"Daddy," a sleepy voice called out.

"We're in the living room, Anna Banana," Matt called out.

A few seconds later a little girl with auburn ringlets and warm brown eyes padded sleepily into the room, clutching a battered brown teddy bear to her chest. She really did look just like the pictures of Haley at that age Nathan had just been thumbing through and he felt his heart melt a little bit at the sight of her. Anna shuffled over to her daddy and immediately plopped down onto his lap, her thumb going into her mouth as she snuggled against his chest.

"What are you doing awake, princess?" Matt asked as he brushed her hair back away from her face.

"I heard a door shut real hard," Anna said. "It scared me."

"That was just Aunt Taylor, baby," Matt said as she tucked her chin beneath his head.

"Well, Aunt Taylor's loud," the four-year-old replied and the adults in the room couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hey, Anna," Matt whispered conspiratorially in his daughter's ear. "I bet if you ask her really nicely, Aunt Haley will take you back upstairs and sing to you."

Haley looked up at her brother and couldn't help but smile at the look he shot her. He'd seen how hard it was for her to look through the photo album and was giving her an out. He was giving her a chance to get away without admitting it was too hard for her. Matt had always seemed to know exactly what she needed.

"Would you, Aunt Haley?" Anna asked, her eyes as round as saucers.

"Sure, Anna Banana," Haley said, rising to her feet. "Do you want to hear you lullaby?"

Anna nodded her head enthusiastically as Haley crossed the room and lifted her up into her arms. Haley commented on how heavy she was getting and Anna immediately replied that was because she was four and was 'a big girl now.' The adults in the room laughed as they made their way towards the stairs, Anna chattering excitedly, but sleepily, to her aunt the whole way.

…

An hour or so later all of the photos had been selected and Haley still hadn't reappeared in the living room. Vivian had repacked all of the photos and albums away into their respective boxes, minus the ones for the slideshow. Quinn had gathered up all of the glasses and bottles and taken them into the kitchen. Brian and Chris had bid everyone goodnight and hightailed it up the stairs before they could get roped into doing anything. Peter had gone to help Vivian put the boxes back in their proper closet and that left Nathan alone with Matt in the living room.

"I bet you twenty bucks Anna conned Haley into climbing into bed with her and now they're both fast asleep," Matt said, walking towards the stairs, and Nathan quickly followed at his heels.

The two men quietly made their way up the stairs and Matt stopped them outside of a door on the second floor with pink flowers painted on the outside. He put his finger to his lips and then silently opened it, casting a narrow beam of light inside. A pink Disney Princess nightlight softly illuminated the dim room and, sure enough, there was Haley fast asleep in bed next to her niece. Haley had her arm around the little girl's shoulders as she cuddled into her aunt. Haley's legs stuck off the end of the child sized bed and based off her position, Nathan knew she was going to be sore in the morning.

"She's a natural with kids, you know," Matt said, smiling fondly at the sight with his arms crossed over his chest. "You want kids, Scott?"

"With Haley I do," he said after a pause. Nathan had never really thought much about having kids. Part of him was terrified that he'd be a father like his own, pushy, demanding, and making his kid feel like he or she was never good enough. But when he saw Haley laying there with that little girl who looked almost exactly like her, it was easy to want that for the two of them. A little girl just like her… That was something he could see himself dreaming about.

"Good answer," Matt replied. "Now go get her. Her back's going to kill her tomorrow if you let her sleep like that all night."

Nathan nodded and then softly walked into the room. He hated to wake her up, but Matt was right, her back would kill her the next day if he left her to sleep like that. He carefully extricated her out of Anna's embrace and then scooped her up in his arms. Haley mumbled something sleepily against his chest and her arms almost automatically wound themselves around his neck, clinging to him. He carefully walked out of the room with her in his arms and Matt couldn't help but smile as they stepped out into the hallway.

"You're a good man, Scott," Matt said.

"Nathan?" Haley muttered sleepily, slowly blinking her eyes and wincing at the bright light of the hallway.

"Shh," Nathan whispered into her ear. "Go back to sleep, baby."

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Just go back to sleep," Nathan said softly with an indulgent smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I'm just carrying you to bed."

Haley muttered something unintelligible that sounded a little like 'too heavy to be carried,' but snuggled her face against Nathan's chest and her deep even breathing let him know that she'd fallen back asleep. Matt nodded to him and then slipped into the bedroom to check on his daughter as Nathan made his way up the stairs, mindful of his precious cargo. Getting the bedroom door open with Haley in his arms was a little tricky, but he managed.

He carefully laid her down on the bed and slipped her out of her silky white robe. He tucked her in beneath the covers and then pulled his t-shirt over his head and climbed into bed next to her. Haley almost immediately rolled over, seeking his warmth beneath the cool sheets, and snuggled up against him. Nathan wrapped his arms around her petite frame and she sighed softly against his bare chest.

"I love you, Hales," he whispered and then kissed the top of her head.

"Love you," she mumbled against his chest and he smiled as he reached over to turn off the table lamp next to his bed. There was something perfect about falling asleep with Haley in his arms. He'd only done it three times, but he felt like he could do it for a lifetime. She was such a perfect fit as she snuggled up against him. When he held her, he really felt like he could do it forever and forever sounded pretty nice to him.

A/N: So, there we have it. Another chapter. I'm on spring break right now, so I'm hoping to get a bunch written and have them all ready for ya'll for a few weeks since my semester has been so crazy. I'm glad that ya'll like the James family. I must say that I was really disappointed that we didn't get to see them all in the show when Lydia died. I think all of Haley's siblings should have gone home to Tree Hill for their mother's funeral. That seemed rather unrealistic to me. So, this is kind of how I think things should have gone. I would like to say, however, that Haley's parents dying was always a plot point in this story and not something I decided after what happened in the show. Thank you once again for all of the amazing reviews. They mean the world to me and although I love everyone who reads this, I especially love those who leave feedback.


	14. The Rest of Our Lives

The day of the funeral dawned bright and clear. Haley stood by the bedroom window staring out over Vivian's back yard and sighed heavily. She was already wearing her black silk dress and Nathan came out of the bathroom just in time to hear her sigh and walk over to wrap his arms around her.

"It's gonna be okay, baby," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"I don't understand why it's so sunny," she said, placing her hands on top of his. "It shouldn't be this sunny on the day of my parents' funeral."

Nathan tightened his grip around her waist and she sank back against him, letting her head rest against his shoulder. He really didn't know what to say to her. He'd never really had anyone important in his life die. His great grandfather had died when he was a kid, but he didn't remember feeling sad. He remembered his father making him kiss the corpse and being totally freaked out by it. That memory made him pretty glad that Haley's parents had been cremated. That meant there wouldn't be any corpses at the funeral.

"I guess we should get down stairs," Haley said after a few minutes of them just standing there. "The first limo that's going to take us to the church should be here soon. We're riding with Quinn, David, Brian and Chris."

"I remember," Nathan said and then kissed her temple. "Are you ready for this?"

"How can you be ready for your parents' funeral?" she asked a little bitterly as pulled away from him.

He mentally kicked himself as Haley went over to the dresser and started fumbling through her jewelry box. She pulled out a pair of small white gold hoop earrings and slipped them into her ears. He grabbed his pre-tied black tie off the bed and slipped it over his head. He walked over behind her to look in the mirror and tightened the knot. Haley turned to face him and carefully tucked it under the starched white collar of his shirt. Nathan smiled at her gratefully and she did her best to smile back at him. It looked more like a grimace, but he appreciated the effort.

"Thank you for being here with me," she said as she slipped on her black pointy-toed pumps.

"There's nowhere I'd rather be," he assured her as he slipped into his suit jacket and then looked down at his watch. "Why don't you go ahead and head down stairs? I'll be down in a minute."

"Okay," she said. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Haley smiled at him weakly again and then grabbed her bag off the bed before making her way down stairs. She heard Vivian talking to her daughter when she reached the second floor landing and Brian and Chris arguing over how to tie a tie. Haley chuckled a little to herself and then made her way down to the first floor. The staircase lead her into the entryway of the house and she stepped onto the white marble floor just as the door bell rang. No one else seemed to be around, so she went over to the mahogany door and felt her eyes tear up when she saw who was standing on the other side of the glass. She quickly opened the door and threw herself into her best friend's arms

"What are you two doing here?" she asked with a tearful smile as she pulled away from Brooke and moved to hug Lucas.

"Nathan called us the other day," Lucas said. "He figured you wanted us here."

"I did," Haley said softly, wrapping her arms tightly around Lucas's neck.

"You've really got yourself a keep there, Tutor Girl," Brooke said, rubbing her back as Haley continued to hug Lucas.

"I know," Haley replied, finally pulling away. "I'm so glad ya'll are here."

"Awe!" Brooke said. "Look Lucas, her Southern accent's coming back!"

"Shut up," Haley said half-heartedly as she moved to hug Brooke again just as Nathan came down the stairs.

"Do you like your surprise?" Nathan asked as he stepped down onto the marble floor.

"I love you," Haley said, throwing herself into Nathan's arms. "I can't believe you did this."

"They're your best friends, Hales," he said, smiling softly down at her. "I knew you wanted them here, even if you didn't say it. And I love you too."

"Brooke, Lucas," Vivian greeted as she walked down the stairs with her daughter's hand in hers. "I'm glad you two made it. You two can ride with Haley and Nathan in the limo."

"We rented a car," Lucas said. "We can drive ourselves."

"Nonsense," Vivian said. "Alex, honey, go see if Daddy's ready to go. He should be in the living room. I'm going to make sure Chris and Brian haven't strangled each other with their ties."

"So, how have things been with the James family?" Lucas asked Nathan.

"Not as bad as I feared," Nathan chuckled. "Haley's brothers are all actually pretty cool."

"Of course we are," Brian said as he and Chris made their way down the stairs.

They both had impeccably straight ties, a sure sign that Vivian had found them and made sure they looked presentable. Chris, however, was already tugging at the collar of his starched white shirt like it was choking him, causing his tie to move to the right.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Chris asked.

"Why do I feel like I'm constantly putting my foot in my mouth when I'm around your brothers?" Nathan whispered into Haley's ear, causing Haley to gently elbow him in the stomach.

"Oh look, there's the limo," Brooke chimed in.

"This is going to be fun," Nathan muttered Haley turned for a moment to wrap her arms around his waist and hug him tightly.

"Don't worry," she said. "My brothers like you."

"Really?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "How can you tell?"

"Because they wouldn't make it any secret if they didn't," she replied and then stepped out of his embrace.

She took his hand in hers and they walked out to the waiting limo. Nathan had told Vivian about inviting Brooke and Lucas to come out for the funeral, so she'd upgraded the limo so that they would all fit comfortably. The black stretch limo took up most of Vivian's circular gravel driveway and Nathan and Haley stepped outside just as Brooke disappeared inside the limo's dark interior.

"Damn, no alcohol!" they heard Brooke exclaim a second later.

"Brooke, we're going to a funeral," Lucas replied as he slipped inside behind her. "Not the senior prom."

"Wouldn't the limo not be allowed to serve you alcohol if you were on your way to the prom?" Chris called as he slipped in after Lucas.

"Should we grab something before heading out there?" Nathan asked.

"Trust me," Haley said, patting his arm before heading out to the limo. "The last thing you want is a tipsy Brooke Davis at a funeral. I went to her grandfather's funeral with her back in college and it was not pretty."

"I'll keep that in mind," Nathan chuckled.

Haley took a few more steps towards the limo and then stopped dead in her tracks. Nathan watched as she wrapped her arms around herself and then immediately walked in next to her and wrapped his arms around her as well. She wasn't crying, but he knew she wasn't fine either and continued to hold her as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I almost forgot there for a minute," she whispered. "I almost forgot that we're going to my parents' funeral. What kind of person does that? I shouldn't be happy today. I shouldn't be…"

"Haley, look at me," Nathan said, taking her face between his hands. "I didn't know your parents, but after hearing all of your siblings talk about them, I can tell that they would want you to be laughing. They would want you to smile and laugh and enjoy your life every day. I think they would be mad if you laugh."

"How do you always know the right thing to say?" she asked, still not looking up at him.

"I don't," he shrugged. "But sometimes I think I know what you need to hear."

"Don't leave without us!" Quinn yelled as she came running out of the house in her black stilettos with David on her heals.

"They totally just had slutty comfort funeral sex," Nathan whispered into Haley's ear as they watched David attempt to straighten his tie and Quinn smooth her hair before slipping into the limo.

"Nathan!" Haley exclaimed, smacking his arm. "You can't say things like that about my sister and brother-in-law!"

"Made you smile though, didn't it?" he asked with a faint smirk.

"Let's just get in the limo," she said, rolling her eyes playfully.

She pulled away from him and then laced her fingers through his. She squeezed his hand gently before leading him towards the limo. There might not have been any alcohol in the limo, but Brian had managed to find a can of peanuts and was busy chucking them at Quinn and David, questioning them about why they were late.

"See," Nathan whispered into Haley's ear after they'd taken the two vacant seats in the limo. "It's okay to laugh."

…

The funeral was hard and painful. Nathan kept his arm wrapped around Haley's shoulders and she kept hers wrapped around his waist. He knew that her tears were creating a damp spot on his suit jacket and he reached into a pocket to grab the white linen handkerchief he'd tucked in it that morning to hand wipe her tears away.

Matt gave the eulogy and watching the large man break down was almost enough to make Nathan cry as well. He felt the tears prickle at the corners of his eyes and he tightened his grip around Haley before reaching up and softly stroking her hair. Quinn and Vivian were in a position much like Haley's with their faces buried in their husbands' suit jackets. Brian and Chris had sandwiched Taylor in between them. Nathan wasn't entirely sure if they were comforting her or anchoring her in place to keep her from bolting, but it didn't seem like the right time to question it.

The service was outside in the church gardens where Haley's parents had gotten married over thirty years before. The same white wooden chairs that had been used for so many weddings were adorned with black bows for the funeral. Vivian had not gotten her sage green and chartreuse, Nathan noted as he looked around. It also looked like most of the town had turned out for the funeral. The citizens of Briar Creek were even standing towards the back of the area roped off for the funeral.

Haley was touched to see the number of people who had turned out to say goodbye to her parents. They hadn't lived in Briar Creek for the last few years, but they'd made far more of an impact on its citizens than she'd known. She also hadn't realized how proud of her they all seemed. She couldn't count the number of people who'd come up to her before and after the ceremony to tell her how much they loved her music. It was touching and humbling all at the same time.

It felt like they were at the church for hours as one person after the other got up to share a memory of Jimmy and Lydia. It seemed like none of the siblings had known the extent of their parents' generosity. People talked about how the Jameses had provided them with holiday meals when they'd been out of work, or how they'd helped families buy their children school supplies when money had been tight. Quinn reached over hand grabbed Haley's hand, squeezing it gently and the two sisters shared a weak, watery smile.

Only the siblings and their families/Nathan, Brooke and Lucas went to scatter Lydia and Jimmy's ashes. They drove out to the family's favorite camp site that overlooked a river. Each of the siblings took a handful of each parents' ashes and tossed them down into the water below. They stood there for a long moment, staring down at the water before finally turning away to make their way back towards the limos.

The ride back to Vivian's house was nothing like the ride to the funeral. Even Brian and Chris were subdued. Haley stared out the back window of the limo with her fingers firmly intertwined with Nathan and their enjoined hands in her lap. Nathan rubbed soothing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb but she barely acknowledged his presence. Even Brooke managed to be subdued for the hour long ride back to Vivian's.

The driveway was already packed with cars by the time the limo pulled up in front of the house. Vivian had sent a close friend of hers back to the house with keys to open it up and let in all of the mourners. The smell of multiple cheese covered casseroles was overpowering as they walked through the door. Haley tightened her grip on Nathan's hand and sighed heavily as they stepped into the house and the crowd thronged around them.

Haley had never been overly physically affectionate with people she didn't know very well and Nathan watched her muscles tighten as various people hugged her and she half-heartedly returned their embraces. People told her how sorry they were about her parents' deaths and she pasted a weak smile on her face thanking them for their condolences. Nathan was shuffled away from her by the mass of people and Haley constantly searched the crowd for him. He tried to stay within eyesight, but Vivian dragged him towards the kitchen to help put out food. By the time he'd made it back to the living room where he'd last seen her, she was gone.

"Have you seen Haley," he asked Brooke and Lucas after locating them in the family room.

"She's not with you?" Brooke asked. "We saw her a few minutes ago and she said she was going to find you."

"No," Nathan said. "Vivian had me helping in the kitchen… Don't look at me like that. I wasn't cooking. I was helping set out casseroles."

"Sucking up to Tutor Girl's family?" Brooke snickered.

"Have you ever tried to tell Vivian no?" Nathan replied.

"Point taken," Lucas said.

"Try the back porch," Brooke suggested. "Tutor Girl tends to spend a lot of time out there when she's here."

"Will do," Nathan said and then went to the dining room where the French doors to the back porch were located.

He was then intercepted by a couple of local NBA fans and was further detained by their questions about his comeback and whether or not he thought he would be able to play again before the playoffs. He tried to be polite and answer all of their questions, but he really just wanted to find Haley. Someone came in from outside and he could see that the back porch was packed. It was highly unlikely that Haley was out there. He had a feeling she'd gone somewhere to get away from people.

Finally, he decided to check their bedroom. He took the stairs two at a time and found the door slightly ajar. Haley was sitting in the middle of their bed in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top with her hair up in a messy bun. Her eyes were red-rimmed and a box of tissues was next to her knee. She had the photo albums they'd been looking at the other night scattered all around her with one of the larger ones on her lap.

"Baby, what are you doing up here?" Nathan asked as he walked cautiously into the room.

"There was some woman talking about my dad's laugh," Haley said, not looking up from the photo album. "She was saying what a great laugh he had and I couldn't remember it. He's been dead less than a week and I can't remember what his laugh sounded like. What kind of daughter does that make me?"

"Hales," he said, coming over to sit on the bed next to her. "You're not a bad daughter. And I'm sure you can remember what your dad's laugh sounded like. You're just stressing yourself out over it right now."

"I thought that if I looked at some pictures of him, I'd be able to," she continued as though he hadn't spoken. "But I can't. How can I face all of those people if I can't even remember what my dad's laugh sounded like?"

"Baby, nobody cares about that," he said, rubbing her back soothingly. "They all just want to see you and offer their condolences."

"I don't deserve their condolences," she said, her voice full of self-loathing. "It's my fault they're dead."

"It was an accident, Hales," he replied, wrapping his arms around her. "It wasn't anybody's fault."

"They were on their way to California," Haley said quietly. "They were on their way to come visit me. They'd heard about how we were dating and decided to come visit. I was the reason they were in Kansas."

"Who told you they were on their way to visit you?" he asked.

"Taylor was telling some people while I was nearby," she replied, still flipping through the photo album. "I didn't believe her. I never believe Taylor, but then I asked Quinn. She couldn't even look me in the eyes, Nathan. They were coming to see me and it's all my fault they died!"

Haley burst into tears and Nathan tightened his grip around her. It killed him that she was in so much pain and he couldn't do anything about it. He rubbed her back softly as she cried into his chest. He pulled the elastic out of her hair and ran his fingers through it gently with one hand as he continued to rub soothing circles on her back. After a few minutes of her sobbing, he remembered how laying down with him had soothed her after she'd found out about her parents and he moved some of the photo albums to the nightstand. He stretched out across the bed and Haley immediately cuddled into his side, still crying.

"Sweetheart, it's not your fault," he said. "It was an accident. You couldn't have done anything."

"Then why do I feel so guilty?" Haley asked softly, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Because you're a good person with a good heart," he said, still rubbing her back. "And you wouldn't be the woman I love so much if you didn't feel some sort of guilt."

"You really do always know what I need to hear," she said. "How do you do that?"

"I just know you, baby," he said and then kissed her forehead. "You know, you'll feel better if you go down stairs."

"I'd rather just stay up here with you," she replied, tracing idle patterns with her finger on his chest.

"Come on," Nathan said with a groan. "As nice as that sounds, you should go be with your family. Go change back into that fantastic dress of yours and let's head back down stairs."

"You liked my dress?" Haley said quietly, sniffling a little.

"I loved it," he assured her, kissing the top of her head again. "Now go get changed before your brothers come looking for us. I don't think there above leaving me out in the desert for an hour or so yet."

"I know where they take people," Haley replied. "I'd come get you."

"You didn't go get your band?"

"I like you better than I like them," she said and then gave him a still kind of watery wink as she got up off the bed and went towards the bathroom to get changed.

Haley came out a few minutes later redressed in the knee length black silk dress that she'd worn to the funeral. She'd washed her face and reapplied her makeup. Nathan could see that her eyes were a little red-rimmed, but it didn't look like she'd been sitting upstairs crying for an hour. She'd brushed her hair and pulled it back into a neat bun at the nape of the neck. She slipped back into her heels and then smiled faintly at him and he held out his hand to lead her out of the room and back down the stairs.

…

Nathan had been right, Haley was glad that she'd gone back down stairs. It was hard listening to people talk about her parents, but it was nice to hear all of their good memories. They were leaving the next afternoon to head back to California and it was nice to go back with all of the memories. She laid there in Nathan's arms thinking about heading back home the next day.

It was just after midnight and they'd been laying there for about 45 minutes. Everyone was heading home the next day, leaving Vivian with a fridge full of casseroles, pies and other various baked goods, so all of the siblings had stayed up late just being together for a few more hours. Even Taylor had been a little more congenial than usual. She'd also laid off the alcohol, which Vivian was quite pleased with. They'd even watched one last episode of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" together for old time sake.

Haley'd been pretty quiet after they'd headed upstairs. Nathan could see that something was on her mind, but didn't press her as they got ready for bed. She changed into a black tank top and her favorite pair of plaid pajama pants before crawling into bed next to him where he was in just a pair of black basketball shorts. Haley cuddled up next to him and rested her cheek against his bare chest. Nathan wrapped his arms around her and ran his fingers through her loose blond curls. He knew she still wasn't asleep by her slightly stiff posture and shallow breathing, but his arm had gotten tired after a few minutes and he settled his hands at her waist.

"Nathan, are you awake?" she asked softly.

"No," he replied with a chuckle.

"Nathan…"

"What is it, baby?" he asked.

"Are you really ready to go back tomorrow?" she said after a moment, tracing idle patterns on his chest with her fingers.

"Hales, we have to go back to LA," Nathan said.

"I know," Haley sighed. "I just… I feel like everything's so different from how it was a few days ago. And I really like waking up next to you every day."

"I really like waking up next to you too," he said and then kissed the top of her head.

"I wish we could be like this forever," she said, snuggling closer.

"We could, you know."

"What?" Haley asked, propping herself up on her elbow so that she could get a better look at his face.

"I don't know," he said, a little flustered. "I just… I want to be with you forever, Hales."

"I want to be with you forever too," she said with a faint smile.

"Well, then why can't forever start right now?" he asked hesitantly.

"What?"

"I know this isn't the right time," he said, sitting up. "I mean, your parents' funeral was today. And this definitely isn't the right way to do this, but I want to be with you forever, Haley James. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Haley said, smiling as tears streamed down her face and she moved up to kiss Nathan.

"Baby, are you sure?" he asked, pulling back from their kiss. "I mean, your parents just died and I don't want this to be something you…"

"Nathan," she said, pressing a finger to his lips. "I love you. And if my parents' deaths taught me anything it's that life is short and unexpected things happen. You know, we're not guaranteed tomorrow, but I want to spend my tomorrow with you."

"I love you so much," he said, moving to kiss her again.

Nathan rolled them over so that he was on top of her, bracing most of his weight on his forearms. Haley sighed into the kiss and he immediately took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. He was a little cautious after the last time they'd been in that position, but she was soft and responsive beneath him. The feeling of her hands tracing the bare skin of his back was driving him crazy. Haley opened her mouth to him and her tongue softly stroked his, causing him to groan as her fingertips made their way down to the waistband of his shorts.

"Haley," he said breaking away from their kiss. "We should stop."

"What?" she said, looking up at him bewildered. Her tank top had somehow ridden up, exposing the smooth skin of her stomach and making it hard for him to concentrate.

"You want to wait until we're married," he said and then sighed heavily. "I want what you want."

"Nathan," Haley said, trapping his face between her hands. "I'm saying yes here."

"I know," he replied. "But maybe I want to wait too."

"What?"

"I'm serious," he said. "When we make love for the first time, I want it to be our wedding night."

"Well, then we're going to have to get married soon because I don't want to wait that long," she said with a grin.

"How soon is soon?" he asked, grinning back at her.

"How soon do you want it to be?"

"Tomorrow?"

"What?" Haley said with a puzzled smile.

"You said you want to be with me forever," he said. "Why can't forever start tomorrow?"

"Nathan," she sighed. "We just buried my parents this afternoon. Tomorrow's a little soon for me to get married."

"Oh," he said, looking down at the duvet.

"But maybe next week," she said with a faint smile.

"Next week?" he said, grinning hopefully.

"Next week," she said and then kissed him softly. "I love you, Nathan Scott."

"I love you too, Hales James Scott," he replied and then kissed her again.

"Haley James Scott," she said with a grin. "I like the sound of that."

A/N: I'm sorry I'm posting this so late. It's my first day back from spring break and it was a rather hectic day. I'm not quite sure how I feel about this chapter. It's just okay. I've been working on it forever and I'm just not fully satisfied. But I didn't want to get off schedule or anything so I'm posting it anyway. I'm really excited about the next chapter thouh. It's a good one. Trust me.


	15. Lost in This Moment

Haley pressed her lips together in a thin line, trying her best to keep her facial expression as neutral as possible. It was the twenty second day in a row that she'd sat in the same chair across from who she thought to be the most aggravating man on the planet nearly begging him to just go ahead and sign off on her new album so that it could go into production. Every day for the last twenty two days he'd been saying no, insisting that it wasn't finished, that it was missing something.

"I really don't know what else you want from me, Mr. Mills," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "This album has been done for over a month. I'm not changing anything."

"You'll change what I tell you to change," the man said, glaring back to her from behind his large mahogany desk. "And I've been telling you for the last twenty two days that I don't like that song 'Right Time'."

"And I've told you every day for the last twenty two days that the song is staying," Haley replied, running her fingers through her once again auburn locks. She'd had them dyed back to her natural hair color almost as soon as the photo shoot had been over. "I played it at that club last week and everyone loved it."

"What do they know about music?" Mr. Mills scoffed.

"What do you know about music you self righteous son of a…" Haley muttered.

"What was that, Miss James?"

"Nothing," Haley nearly spat, fidgeting with the large diamond ring on her left hand.

The weight of it still felt funny to her hand after about a month of wearing it. Nathan had surprised her with the four karat engagement ring a few days after their return from Texas. Although they'd originally talked about waiting a week to get married, it had just been too soon for Haley. She had still been reeling from her parents' deaths and didn't want her wedding to be a reaction to that. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Nathan. That wasn't something she questioned. She just really wanted to be ready when they finally did get married.

It hadn't helped at Mr. Mills was refusing to sign off on her album. All of the other executives at the studio had loved it. They'd all thought it was phenomenal. It was just Mr. Mills that was being a pain in Haley's ass. The stress from not getting her album into production was really eating at her. It was half way through November and her tour was supposed to start in mid-January.

"I still think it's missing something," Mr. Mills said, leaning back in his chair. "And I'm not going to let you release this album until I'm sure that it's perfect."

"Fine," Haley said, shoving her chair back away from the desk. "I'll keep working on it. Whatever. But I'm taking a few days off to. Maybe then I'll be able to see whatever it is that you think is missing."

"Fine, Miss James," Mr. Mills said, standing up as well. "I'll expect you back in the studio next Monday."

"Fine," Haley said, grabbing her purse from where it rested next to her chair.

She marched out of the office and back into the lobby where Andrew and Walker were waiting. They both stood up when she walked out and looked at her expectantly. Haley sighed, running her fingers through her hair, and then shook her head. Walker's shoulder's immediately drooped and Andrew's jaw jutted out angrily.

"Son of a bitch," Andrew muttered. "The album's great, Hales. He's just being a pain in the ass."

"I know," Haley sighed again. "It's just frustrating after all these months."

"Tell me about it," Walker said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We're going to take a week off," Haley said after a pause. "Maybe after we give it some time, we'll figure out something that'll push this thing over the edge and Mr. Mills will finally sign off on it."

"It's gonna be okay, Hales," Andrew said, wrapping his arm around Haley's shoulders and giving her a tight squeeze.

"I'll just be glad when we're finally out of here and on tour and don't have to see him for four months," Haley said.

"You can say that again." Walker muttered.

"I've gotta get going," Haley said. "I'll see you boys in a week, okay?"

"Sure thing, Hales," Walker said. "We'll get this. You'll see."

Haley said goodbye to both boys and then headed towards the parking garage. She slipped behind the wheel of her Aston Martin V12 Vantage and once again sighed heavily. She stroked the steering wheel and rested her head back against the head rest. It was still fairly warm for November and the backs of her legs that were exposed by short skirt of her navy blue halter dress stuck to the buttery black leather. She heard her phone ring a familiar tune and Haley smiled a little as she reached for it.

"Hey, baby," Nathan said after she'd said hello. "How'd it go?"

"He's still not satisfied," she said, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face and then sticking her key into the ignition. "He's being a stubborn son of a bitch and there's nothing I can do about it."

"He'll come around," Nathan said.

"How was your session with Luke today?" she asked.

"It was good," he replied. "My jump shot's really improving. He thinks that I'll be able to play professionally again in about a month."

"That's great, baby," Haley said. "I'm so proud of you."

"I'm proud of you too, Hales," he said. "Your album is great. That Mills guy doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Thank you," Haley said softly, smiling a little to herself. "Nathan, I don't want to wait anymore."

"What?" he said, confusion evident in his voice.

"To get married," she replied. "I don't want to wait."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes," she said. "Nathan, I love you and I want to be your wife. I'm ready to be your wife. I don't want to wait anymore."

"I love you too," he said. "So much, baby. Are you really sure?"

"I'm positive," she said. "Let's do it tonight."

"Okay, let's do it tonight," he echoed. "Can you be here by 4:30?"

"Why 4:30?" she asked after looking down at the clock on the dash and seeing that it was just after 1:00. "Isn't that a little soon?"

"Trust me, babe," he said. "Are you really sure you want to do this?"

"I'm sure," she said. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said and she could practically hear his grin through the phone. "I'll see you at 4:30."

Haley said goodbye and then hung up the phone. She sat there for a minute staring down at the steering wheel and smiling a little to herself. She wasn't sure exactly what had made her tell Nathan she was ready to get married all of a sudden, but she knew she was. She knew that she didn't want to wait anymore. She knew that Nathan was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Haley shifted the car into gear and then slowly backed out of her parking spot. If she was going to get married in three and a half hours, she was going to need a white dress.

…

"So, what was so damn important that I get our tuxes from the cleaners and cancel my date with Peyton?" Jake asked as he walked through the front door of Nathan's mansion to see Nathan pacing back and forth across the foyer.

"You did bring Peyton, right?" Nathan said, not pausing in his pacing.

"She's coming," Jake replied. "She got held up at the studio. Seriously, man, what's going on?"

"Haley and I are getting married tonight," Nathan said, finally coming to a stop in front of his best friend and manager.

"What?" Jake said, dropping two of the three garment bags that contained their tuxedos.

"Dammit, Jake!" Nathan said, scooping the bags up off the floor. "Do you want them to get wrinkled? Haley's gonna be here any minute!"

"Did you just tell me that you and Haley are about to get married?" Jake asked. "Is she pregnant?"

"Yes, I told you we're about to get married," Nathan said, leading Jake up towards his bedroom so that they could get changed. "And no, she's not pregnant."

"Then why are you getting married?"

"Because I love her, Jake," he replied as they made their way up the stairs. "She's the one and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"Why so fast though?" Jake said.

"Because we wanted forever to start right away," Nathan said with a faint smile as he thought of his conversation with Haley a month before. "Don't you dare laugh."

Jake was about to question why Nathan told him not to laugh when Nathan opened his bedroom door. Red and white rose petals were scattered all over the floor and the bed. Candles waited unlit on every stable surface around the room. Jake imagined it was the kind of room every girl fantasized about for her wedding night.

"Did you get a new bed?" Jake asked when he noticed the large wrought iron four poster bed with the soft sheer white canopy.

"I just want tonight to be perfect for her," Nathan said a little defensively. "I wasn't sure if she would like the old one."

"It looks great, Nathan," Jake assured him. "Haley will love it."

"I hope so," Nathan said, frowning nervously. "I really do love her, Jake."

"I'd hope so if you're marrying her," Jake chuckled.

"Hey boys, what's going on?" Peyton called as she walked into the room. "Oh, please don't say that there's something you two need to tell me…"

Nathan and Jake looked around the room and then looked at each other before both jumping backwards.

"Oh hell no, baby" Jake laughed, going to wrap his arm around his girlfriend and kiss her cheek. "Nathan here's getting married though."

"I can't believe this," Peyton said, shaking her head. "Haley James is honestly going to marry your sorry ass?"

"Hey!" Nathan said defensively.

"I'm kidding," Peyton laughed. "I'm really happy for you, Nate. You and Haley are really good together."

"Thanks," Nathan said. "Now will you go wait for Haley? Jake and I need to get ready."

"Oh, here's your dress, babe," Jake said, handing Peyton the third garment bag. "I brought you that green one you wore to that charity dinner last month."

"Thanks, Jake," Peyton said, kissing his cheek before making her way back down to the living room to wait for Haley. She stowed the dress away in the first floor guest room and then took a seat on Nathan's black leather couch to watch for Haley's arrival. The judge arrived first and Peyton called Jake to come down and take him outside to see where Nathan had set up an alter for their wedding.

"Hey Peyton," Haley said as she walked into the house with her garment bag over her shoulder. "Is Nathan here?"

"Yep," Peyton replied, linking her arm through Haley's and steering her towards the guest bedroom. "He's upstairs because word is that _somebody's _getting married…"

"Brooke's going to kill me for not telling her, isn't she?" Haley grimaced as Peyton opened the bedroom door.

"Probably," Peyton laughed. "Now let's get you ready to be Mrs. Nathan Scott. Is that your dress?"

Haley nodded as Peyton took the white bag from her and hung it on the closet door next to the black garment bag that held Peyton's dress. She slowly unzipped it and pulled out the dress she'd purchased just an hour before. It had been terrible trying to find something without Brooke's help and without being recognized and questioned as to why she was trying to buy a white dress, but Haley was really satisfied with her purchase. It was made from the softest white silk Haley had ever touched with a deep v-neck and a tight ruched bodice. The skirt flared out slightly came down to about mid calf.

She slipped into the bathroom to change as Peyton changed into her own green dress in the bedroom. When Haley came out a few minutes later, fidgeting nervously with the material of the skirt, Peyton gave a soft whistle.

"Nathan won't know what hit him," the blonde said as she looked over Haley's dress. "You look really beautiful, Haley. Do you want some help with your hair?"

"Does it really look okay?" Haley asked nervously, giving a little twirl so that Peyton could see the dress from all angles.

"You look gorgeous," Peyton assured her. "The dress is perfect."

"I wasn't sure," Haley said, looking down at her feet. "Brooke usually picks out all my clothes. Is that pathetic?"

"No," Peyton said, gently pushing her towards the bathroom so they could get to work on her hair. That's what happens when your friends with Brooke Davis. She picked out all of my clothes in college. It was much easier to give in to her than it was to stand up to her."

"Sounds like Brooke," Haley chuckled. "She's really going to hate me for not calling her."

"Do you want to? I'm sure Nathan wouldn't mind."

"I'm not sure," Haley said, biting her lower lip. "Would you ask him for me?"

Suddenly, Haley and Peyton heard the front door bang and then the click of heels against the marble and then hardwood floor leading towards the bedroom they were in. The door to the bedroom flew open and in stepped Brooke Davis.

"So, what's this I hear about my best friend getting married?" she asked with a grin.

"Brooke!" Haley nearly squealed, throwing her arms around her best friend.

"I can't believe you thought you were going to get married without me," Brooke said with a mock pout. "Here I am thinking I'm your best friend, not to mention manager, and you are going to get married without even so much as a phone call…"

"I was about to," Haley interrupted. "I'm really glad you're here, Brookie."

"I would never miss this, Tutor Girl," Brooke said. " Luke's here too, by the way. Nathan snagged him as we were walking through the door. Now let's finish getting you ready. I brought everything we should need. I think it's best to put your hair up since it's going to be an outside wedding."

Peyton somehow magically conjured up a stool in the small bathroom and Brooke forced Haley to sit down on it. She debated for a few minutes as to whether or not she should make Haley change out of her dress before Brooke started her makeup, but eventually decided to wrap a towel around her shoulders instead to protect the dress in case of accidents. The towel also gave Haley something to hold on to and kept her from fidgeting as much as she normally did when Brooke did her makeup.

After lightly dusting Haley's face with powder and lightly applying more natural eye-shadows to her eyelids, Brooke carefully painted her lips with a pale pink shimmery gloss and threatened Haley within an inch of her life if she rubbed her lips together too much and made all the gloss come off before setting to work on her hair. She carefully plaited Haley's auburn curls and secured the end with an elastic band before tucking it up inside the plait and securing it with bobby pins.

"Hmmm," Brooke said as she stepped back to admire her work in the mirror. "I kind of feel like we're ignoring tradition here. The only thing we've got is the 'something new' because of Haley's dress."

"Actually, I have the 'something blue' too," Haley said, blushing a little.

"What's that?" Brooke asked.

"My underwear is blue lace," she said, blushing even more. "I wore a slip to hide it."

"Way to think ahead, Tutor Girl," Brooke laughed. "That just leaves the something old and the something borrowed… Hmmm… Oh, I know!"

Brooke slipped her white gold diamond studs out of her ears and then put them in Haley's.

"There," she said, stepping back to admire the effect. "That's your something borrowed. Now for something old…"

"Well, hello there, princess," Lucas said as he stepped into the bathroom. "What have you done with my good friend Haley?"

"Isn't she gorgeous?" Brooke nearly squealed. "She's almost ready. We're just trying to figure out her 'something old'."

"I think I can help with that," Lucas said, pulling a long, slender, black velvet jewelry box out of his pocket. "Nathan sent me down with this. It was his grandmother's. His mom sent it to him after you two got engaged."

Haley carefully lifted the lid to the box and all three girls gasped at its contents. Nestled in the folds of black satin was a gorgeous antique diamond bracelet. It was white gold and the diamonds were arranged in small clusters to resemble flowers. Haley's eyes misted up a little as Brooke carefully clasped the bracelet around her wrist and then all three stood back to look Haley over carefully.

"You look beautiful, Hales," Lucas said after a moment. "Are you ready to get married?"

Haley stared at her reflection in the mirror for a minute and then nodded her head. Brooke softly squeezed her shoulders before mumbling something about going to get Haley's bouquet and dragged Peyton out of the bathroom with her.

"It's too bad none of your family's here," Lucas said after a moment.

"Yeah," Haley sighed and then chuckled a little. "This was pretty last minutes though."

"You know, I could give you away," Lucas said with a shrug. "If you wanted me to, that is…"

"Would you?" she asked and turned to face him, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Of course I would," he said, hugging her tightly. "But just so you know, I could never really give you away. You'll always be my best friend."

"Don't tell Brooke," Haley said. "But you'll always be mine too. You're the one who got me where I am today. You're the one who forced me up on stage at all of those open mike nights and helped me get past my stage fright. You're the one who let me cry on your shoulder whenever my demos got returned. You're the one who rehabbed my leg and put Nathan and I together."

"Well, that last one wasn't exactly planned," Lucas chuckled.

"I still feel like I should say thank you," Haley said with a faint smile. "I know you two aren't exactly the best of friends yet, but I really love him and I'm really glad you're giving him a chance."

"That's all because of you, Hales" he said and then kissed the top of her head. "Now come on. Nathan's probably driving Jake nuts waiting for you. Let's go get you married."

…

Nathan stood waiting anxiously on the beach. He was doing his best not to fidget as he stood with his back to the ocean watching the French doors at the back of his house for any signs of Haley. Jake was standing next to him and Brooke and Peyton were standing across from them. Nathan really was fairly proud of himself for throwing things together so quickly. People in LA were pretty ready to bend over backwards for Nathan Scott.

The setting was nearly perfect. Tiki torches lined the path down from his house to where he stood waiting with the minister. The sun setting and they helped light the area as well as kept the bugs away. He'd even managed to find an archway for them to stand under and had it set up in the sand. Brooke had squealed when she'd walked out and seen everything, assuring Nathan multiple times that it was perfect and Haley would love it.

Nathan looked out towards the ocean and smiled to himself as he thought of all the good times he and Haley had on that beach. She loved impromptu picnics and frequently dragged him down with a blanket and some sandwiches so they could eat down by the water, even though they had a perfectly good view of the ocean from his patio. He loved to watch her childlike joy when she splashed in the waves, sending water flying in his direction even after he'd sworn that he didn't want to get wet. The beach had slowly become 'their place' and he knew it was the perfect place for them to get married.

"Here she comes, man," Jake muttered and Nathan's head whipped around to watch as Haley descended from the house.

He couldn't contain his grin when he caught sight of her. She was absolutely breathtaking and the moment she reached the sand and their eyes met would be forever burned in his memory. Her simple white dress hugged all of her curves perfectly. He was fairly certain it was a safe assumption that her makeup was flawless. Her hair was nice too in his opinion. But the way her eyes were shining when they met his… He would never forget that as long as he lived. At that moment it was like their love was palpable. It was something that completely surrounded him and squeezed him tightly. If he'd had any doubts that they were doing the right thing, they completely evaporated at that moment.

Suddenly Haley was standing in front of him and her hands were in his. She'd handed the simple bouquet of white lilies over to Brooke, but had obviously taken one out of the bouquet at some point and tucked it behind her ear. It was all Nathan could do not to lean down and kiss her at that moment, but he stopped himself with the knowledge that when he did kiss her in a few minutes she would be his wife.

"Dearly beloved," the minister began. "We are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses to join Nathan and Haley in holy matrimony."

Haley couldn't help but squeeze Nathan's hands at the word "matrimony." She was going to be a wife. She was going to be _his_ wife in just a few short minutes. The entire thing was completely surreal. Everything was so beautiful. She wasn't sure how Nathan had gotten it all together so quickly, but it was gorgeous. The flames from the tiki torches flickered against their skin, giving everything a romantic glow as they stood beneath the simple pale wooden latticed archway with the tulle woven through it. Even the soft click of Peyton's camera as she documented the day seemed perfect. Haley had always imagined her wedding as some huge elaborate affair, but this was better. This was so much better.

Soon it was time for their vows and Nathan cleared his throat a little nervously as he stared down into Haley's eyes.

"Hales, when I first met you I was nowhere near the man I am today," he said. "Then you came into my life and changed everything. You heal me. You make me a better man. And someday, this beach might wash away. The oceans may dry. The sun could dim but on that day, I'll still be loving you. Always and forever. I promise you Haley."

"I, Haley, take you, Nathan," she began, squeezing his hands again after his words brought tears to her eyes. "To have and to hold, from this day forward. In sickness and in health. For richer or poorer. For better or worse. I promise, that I will love and cherish you. And will deny all those that would come between us. I make this promise for eternity. I promise that I will keep forever. Until the end of time. Till death do us part."

"And now for the rings," the minister said.

"Nathan…" Haley said, panicked. "I didn't think about…"

"Relax, baby," he said with a grin. "I got us a set. You can get me another one later if you want, but I kind of wanted them to match."

"I love you, Nathan Scott," she said pushing up on her tiptoes so that she could kiss him, only to be interrupted by the minister clearing his throat.

"You two can do that in a minute," the older man said with a chuckle and Haley blushed furiously.

Jake pulled the ring box with the two simple, matching, white gold wedding bands out of the breast pocket of his tuxedo jacket and handed it over to Nathan. Nathan carefully slipped the band onto Haley's ring finger and she did the same. Nathan brought her hand up to his lips and softly kissed the spot where her wedding ring rested and the two grinned at each other.

"What God has joined together may no man put asunder," the minister said. "I am proud to present Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Scott. Nathan, you may now kiss your bride."

Nathan immediately dropped Haley's hands and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her petite body tightly against his. He smiled down at her for a moment before softly caressing her lips with his. Haley reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and sighed into the kiss, giving him the perfect opportunity to deepen it.

"Okay, you two," Lucas interrupted after a few minutes. "As nice as this was, I really don't want to see my brother sticking his tongue down my best friend's throat."

Haley pulled away, grinning sheepishly as she rested her head against Nathan's chest. He tightened his grip around her waist and kissed the top of her head as they turned to face their friends.

"Congratulations, Tutor Wife," Brooke said as she came over to hug Haley. "And you too, Boy Toy."

"I really hate that nick name," Nathan chuckled as he let go of Haley so that they both could embrace the brunette.

"Never thought I'd see the day," Jake chuckled as he shook Nathan's hand and then leaned down to kiss Haley's cheek. "Even the tabloids aren't going to believe this one."

"Hell, I hardly believe it and I witnessed it," Peyton laughed and then blushed sheepishly. "Sorry reverend."

"That's quite alright," the minister laughed. "Why don't we head back up to the house so that we can sign the marriage license?"

Nathan wrapped an arm around Haley's waist and pulled her close to his side as they made their way back up the beach towards his house just as the sun finished sinking down beneath the horizon.

"I love you, Mrs. Scott," he whispered down into her ear.

"I love you too, Mr. Scott," she replied and then kissed him lightly as they reached the steps that led up to his patio.

"Wait," Nathan when they reached the French doors and then scooped Haley up in his arms.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a laugh.

"Carrying the bride over the threshold," he replied, causing everyone to laugh.

Haley reached up and softly stroked the side of Nathan's face as he carried her into the house. She couldn't have asked for a more loving husband. Their wedding may not have been the one Haley had dreamed of, but when she looked up into Nathan's eyes, she knew it was better. So much better.

…

Brooke, Lucas, Jake and Peyton hung around for a few more hours before finally heading home for the night. Brooke had also picked up a cake from a bakery on her way to Nathan's house, so they had that and champagne to really celebrate the occasion. After most of the cake had been eaten and they'd gone through two bottles of champagne, Nathan slipped upstairs after nodding to Jake, signaling that it was time for them to leave. Jake then signaled to Lucas so that he knew as well and when Nathan came back downstairs a few minutes later, both men immediately stood up and started to say goodbye. Peyton caught on immediately, but had to elbow Brooke a little harshly in the side to get her to catch on as well.

"Have fun, you two," Brooke called as all four of them walked out the front door and then Nathan firmly shut and locked the door behind them.

"Come with me," he said, taking both of Haley's hands in his and leading her towards the stairs.

He walked backwards, slowly leading her up the stairs and then lifted her in his arms when they reached the landing. Haley wrapped her arms around his neck and chuckled a little to herself. Nathan really seemed to like picking her up and carrying her around for some reason. He tended to do it whenever the opportunity presented itself. He softly kicked the door open and Haley gasped when he saw what he'd done in the bedroom.

"You did all of this for me?" she asked softly as she took in the flickering candles and all of the rose petals.

"Of course I did, baby," he said, setting her down carefully on her feet. "I wanted tonight to be perfect."

"Wait just a minute," she said, pulling away from him and darting back towards the stairs.

"Hey," he called after her. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back," she said and then hurried down the stairs to the bedroom where she'd gotten ready. She'd had something else in the garment bag that she'd gotten especially for that night and she was kind of anxious for Nathan to see her in it.

Nathan frowned when he heard Haley nearly running down the stairs and then shrugged out of his suit jacket, draping it over one of the arm chairs over against the wall. He kicked off his shoes and then sat down to take off his socks as well. He'd just started to loosen his bowtie when he heard Haley's footsteps on the stairs. He completely froze when he saw her in the doorway.

Nathan had seen Haley in a lot less than that white satin negligee she was wearing as she stood in the doorway of his bedroom, what was now _their_ bedroom. He'd seen her in a bikini many times throughout their therapy sessions and trips to the beach. He'd definitely seen her in less, but he'd never seen her so sexy as she stood there in the doorway in that negligee that made it painfully obvious that she wasn't wearing a bra and was sheer enough that he could see the lacy blue underwear she had on beneath it.

"You are so beautiful, baby," he said, quickly crossing the room and crushing her against him.

His lips immediately descended on hers and Haley wrapped her arms around him, tugging his shirt up out of his pants as their tongues dueled for dominance. She felt him groan against her mouth as her hands came in contact with the smooth taught skin of his back and she used his moment of weakness to slip her tongue into his mouth, licking lightly against his hard pallet and causing him to groan again. Her hands slipped between them and she finished untying his bowtie before making quick work of the buttons on his shirt.

As she pushed the white dress shirt from his shoulders he broke their kiss and let his lips travel down from her mouth to the sensitive spot between her neck and her shoulder. He shook off the shirt and placed his hands on her hips, rubbing his thumbs in soft, heated circles that made the skin beneath her negligee feel as though it were on fire.

"I love you," she breathed as his lips lifted off her neck for a moment.

"I love you too, baby," he murmured between kisses as he made his way down the other side of her neck. "So much."

"Bed," she said. "Now."

Nathan chuckled a little and then moved his hands down to the backs of her thighs so that he could lift her up against him. He gently laid her down on the silky blue duvet and took a moment to stare down at her. She was so beautiful, easily the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen with her auburn curls fanned out across the pillow and her skin flushed and rosy as she smiled up at him. He once again caught her lips with his and moaned when he felt her soft fingers travel up over his well-defined abdominal muscles.

Haley felt like an inferno was sweeping through her veins as Nathan's lips and hands traveled over her body. She'd been a little nervous about their first night together because of her limited experience, but moving with Nathan was completely natural. There were no awkward moments. There was no uncomfortable tension. There was just the feel of his skin beneath her fingertips and the feel of his lips against hers.

She felt his hands travel down to the edge of her negligee and he paused for a moment, his eyes meeting hers as he silently asked for permission. She nodded her head slightly and sat up a little as he leaned back on his haunches to lift it over her head. She was a little embarrassed as she laid back on the bed feeling almost completely exposed, but the way his clear blue eyes darkened to the point where they were almost black told her that she had no reason to be.

"God, you are so sexy, baby," he said, leaning down to kiss her again, relishing in the feeling of the bare skin of her chest against his.

"I think you're wearing too many clothes," she said after they broke the kiss.

"I think you're right."

A/N: Well, this is officially the new monster chapter. I might start making them all about this long to get the story moving a little faster. I'm thinking at this point there are ten or so chapters left. But I'm not really sure. I must say though that I was really disappointed by the lack of reviews for the last chapter. Thank you very much to the six of you who did review, ReeseHolden, chriselle, ann, kutebloo, Ciarax, and aysha02. This chapter is dedicated to you. So, here's to hoping this chapter gets a better response. I'm planning a lot of really cute Naley fluff for the next chapter, so review so that you all get to read it.

On a completely different note, the end of this chapter was probably the closest thing to smut I've ever written. I'm still kind of blushing over it. How was it? I'm pretty anxious to know what ya'll think…


	16. Love Story

Haley squinted as the early morning sunlight filtered through a gap in the dark curtains and hit her eyes. It had been three days. Three glorious days since the wedding. Three days where they'd hardly left the bedroom except to go down to the kitchen for food, and even then it hadn't been for more than a few minutes.

She stretched her arms out in front of her and felt Nathan's arm immediately tighten around her waist from where he was spooned up behind her. He would probably deny it to his dying day, but Nathan Scott was most definitely a cuddler. She'd learned that very early and very quickly by the way he snuggled up behind her when they were asleep. On the second day after their wedding when she'd woken up before him, she'd tried a little experiment. She'd move a few inches away from him and within seconds he was reaching for her every time.

Slowly, careful not to wake her sleeping husband, Haley crawled out from beneath Nathan's arm. They'd barely left the bed for three days. It kind of felt like it was time to face reality again. She didn't have any of her clothes or personal belongings at Nathan's. She had some of her toiletries in his bathroom for after trips to the beach and whatnot, but she wanted her stuff. She wanted pictures of her family and her books.

She found her panties from where they'd been discarded several nights before and then made her way into the bathroom for a quick shower. She half expected Nathan to wake up and join her, but was a little bit glad when he didn't. Showers with Nathan, as nice as they were, did not leave one feeling very clean. She wrapped herself in one of the fluffy dark blue towels from under the sink and brushed her teeth before making her way down stairs to the guest room where she'd left her clothes from the other day. She really needed to get her clothes. The only things she had with her were the skirt and top she'd just slipped back into and her wedding dress.

After getting dressed, she softly padded into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. That was another reason to finally get out of bed. She was starting to go into major caffeine withdrawals. She leaned against the counter for a moment as she watched it percolate and then reached up to grab a coffee mug out of the cabinet. Nathan really did have a very well stocked kitchen for a man. All of his cups and plates matched. He didn't have any random chauvinistic or lewd coffee mugs. They were all the same red and black pattern except for the one random Lakers one stuck in with the rest.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and then went out the front door to grab the newspaper before settling in one of the chairs at the wrought iron patio table. She flipped through the pages of the paper a little aimlessly before settling on some human interest article about sea turtle habitats. She'd just finished that article and was starting to look for another when she heard the soft click of the French doors opening.

"Hey, I was wondering where you went," Nathan said as he walked out onto his back patio. "What are you doing out of bed? And with clothes on?"

He'd woken up for the first time in three days in bed alone. There was no Haley there snuggled up next to him with her head pillowed on his chest. Her smell was all over the sheets, but it wasn't the same as having her warm body pressed up against his. He'd immediately pulled on his boxers and gone to find his wife of three days and found her sitting out on the patio in what he assumed where the clothes she'd arrived in on their wedding day. Clothes hadn't exactly been necessary for the last few days so it was almost a shock to see her wearing them again.

"Nathan," Haley laughed. "We can't spend the rest of our lives in that bed. There's still a world outside our bedroom."

"Our bedroom," he murmured into her ear as he leaned down to wrap his arms around her and kiss the side of her head. "I like the sound of that."

"Nathan," Haley groaned as he started pressing hot open mouthed kisses down the side of her neck. "We need to actually leave the house today. I need to go back to the apartment and pack my stuff. I need clothes, Nathan!"

"But I like you so much better without them," he murmured, reaching the tender spot at the base of her neck that always caused her to gasp.

"You're going to be the death of me, Nathan Scott," she said with a sigh.

"But what a way to go, baby," he replied. "What a way to go."

"Alright mister," Haley said, pulling away from him and standing up. "I'm keeping my clothes on. I really need to go back to the apartment."

"Fine, leave me," Nathan sulked, dropping into one of the chairs of his patio set.

"I think you'll like what I bring back," she whispered into his ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck from behind. "One of the perks of being friends with Brooke Davis is that I have a rather impressive lingerie collection."

"You're killing me, Hales," he groaned. "First you have clothes on and won't let me take them off, now you're taunting me with your lingerie collection."

"But what a way to go, baby," she said with a smirk and then popped a kiss on his cheek. "What a way to go."

…

Brooke wasn't in the apartment when Haley finally arrived. She sighed a little as she walked in and looked around. It had been her home for so long, she couldn't help but be a little sad to leave it. She and Brooke had some good times there. She'd shared her first kiss with Nathan just outside the door. There were so many memories. It was hard to say goodbye.

She made her way back to her bedroom and dragged her set of suitcases out from under the bed. After unzipping the largest one, she tossed it up onto the bed and then made her way back to the closet. There was no way she was even going to be able to get all of her clothes in one trip. She started slipping some of her favorite pieces off their hangers and draping them over her arm when she heard the front door open.

"Tutor Girl, please tell me that's you and not some intruder," Brooke called.

"It's me," Haley replied. "I'm back in my room."

"Awe," Brooke said with a sniffle as she leaned against Haley's doorjamb. "You're packing. You're really moving out on me."

"Well, Nathan does have that huge house," Haley laughed. "I think it would be kind of silly for the two of us to move in here."

"I know," Brooke said, coming over to wrap her arms around Haley. "I guess the suitcase just makes it all the more real. I'm going to miss you, Tutor Girl."

"I'm gonna miss you too, Brookie," Haley assured her. "But think of it this way, now you can turn my room into an extra closet."

"Oh!" Brooke exclaimed. "You're brilliant, Hales. I think I'll devote this room entirely to my shoes…"

"Let me get my stuff out first," Haley laughed as Brooke's phone started to ring. She quickly made her way back to the kitchen where she'd set her purse and dug the phone out.

"Hey Jake," Haley heard Brooke say as she continued to pack. "What channel? Okay, I'm turning it on now. Hey, Tutor Wife, get your ass in here!"

"What?"

Haley stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what was on the television. There were photos of her from barely half an hour before as she was making her way into the building. The photos were mostly focused on her left hand and the platinum wedding band that now rested below her engagement ring.

"Well, someone just got themselves a new car," Brooke sighed as she sank down onto the couch. "Scratch that, they probably got themselves a down payment on a house."

"I didn't even see a photographer," Haley groaned as she sank down next to her friend.

"Well, we knew that word was going to get out eventually," Brooke said. "I just would have preferred it get out in an expertly crafted statement from yours truly. Don't be silly, Jake. Of course I would be the one to release it. Because I've known Haley longer than you've known Nathan that's why."

"The paparazzi's going to be a nightmare," Haley said, pouting a little. "Nathan would probably get mad if I decide to camp out here for like a week, right?"

"You deprive a man of sex for a week and it's pretty much grounds for divorce," Brooke said. "No, Jake, Haley's not thinking about getting an annulment. Stop freaking out at me! Okay, I'll get to work on that statement. Hang on I've got another call."

Haley stared at the television as Brooke got increasingly silent. The hosts were speculating about her and Nathan's wedding, where they had it and what she wore. They were also speculating about who was there and couldn't have been more wrong. Reports were coming in about a lavish ceremony in the south of France and Haley had to choke back a snort. Brooke suddenly reached over and squeezed her hand tightly. Haley looked over at her and saw that Brooke's eyes were as wide as saucers as she continued to talk on the phone.

"You will never believe who just called me," Brooke said.

"Who?"

"Oprah."

"Oprah called you, personally?" Haley asked with a puzzled frown.

"No," Brooke said. "Not her personally, her assistant or manager or somebody like that. She wants you and Nathan on her show on Friday."

"What?"

"Oprah wants you and Nathan on her…"

"We're Oprah worthy?"

"Apparently," Brooke said with a grin.

"Wow," Haley said with a smirk. "Two platinum selling albums and I get nothing. Marry I basketball player and suddenly I'm Oprah worthy."

"I think that Scott smirk is rubbing off on you, Tutor Wife," Brooke said. "I've got to call Jake back and let him know. I guess you and Nathan are off to Chicago!"

"Isn't it cold in Chicago right now?" Haley said, groaning.

"Probably," Brooke shrugged. "Oh! That means I get to take you shopping!"

"Like I didn't already have enough clothes," Haley grumbled.

"You can never have too many clothes, Hales," Brooke said, hopping up off the couch.

"Of course not," Haley said, rolling her eyes. "Come on and help me pack. I need clothes."

"What do you need clothes for?" Brooke said as she followed Haley back towards her bedroom. "I'm pretty sure Boy Toy probably prefers you without them. Oh, speaking of no clothes, how's the sex?"

"Brooke!"

…

"Haley!" Brooke nearly shrieked. "If you don't stop playing with your hair I'm going to tie your hands behind your back."

"My hair looks fine, Brooke," Haley replied.

"It won't if you don't stop messing with it," Brooke said, hands on her hips.

Nathan chuckled from where he was sitting on the sofa next to Haley and reached over to lace his fingers through hers. It had been a whirlwind three days that had led them up to that moment. Phones had been ringing off the hook since Haley and Nathan's marriage had been discovered by the press. Paparazzi were following their every move, making it nearly impossible for them to go anywhere and get anything done. Their bodyguards had been absolutely necessary every time they'd stepped foot out of the house. Haley couldn't wait for the day when they became old news and someone else was in the limelight.

Oprah was a new experience for both of them. Haley had been on most of the early morning talk shows in New York. She'd made the occasional appearance on the various late shows. She'd even been a guest on the Ellen Degeneres show. But Oprah was by far the biggest deal. Brooke had nearly thrown temper tantrums over Haley's hair and makeup. She'd declared three different makeup artists completely incompetent and had ended up doing Haley's makeup herself. She'd almost done the same with Haley's hair before Jake had managed to drag her away to give the final seal of approval on the questions list.

"How can you be some calm?" Haley asked, looking up at her husband of nearly a week.

"It's just another talk show," Nathan shrugged. "It's not like we both haven't done a million of them.

"But, dude, it's Oprah," she said with a giggle. "She's pretty much Brooke's idol, if you can't tell by the total meltdown."

"I figured as much," he said.

"I can't believe we're actually here," she said, looking around with wide eyes. "You know this is Oprah's final season or something, right? We're worthy of Oprah's final season."

"I take it she's not just Brooke's idol," he laughed.

"Shut up," she said, smacking him lightly on the arm.

"Hey," he said. "That's spousal abuse."

"That didn't hurt, you big baby," Haley replied.

"It did," Nathan said with an exaggerated pout.

"Do you need me to kiss it and make it better?"

"Maybe not my arm," he said, wrapping his 'injured' arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. "But now that you mention it, my lips are feeling a little neglected."

"You know, we've still got about thirty minutes until we've got to be on stage," Haley said, biting her lower lip. "And we've got that big empty dressing room…"

"And?"

"Nathan," she whined.

"Tell me what you want, baby," he murmured, his lips brushing her ear and sending shivers down her spine.

"You," she said. "I want you. Now come on."

Nathan chuckled a little to himself as his wife jumped up off the couch and dragged him along behind her. Some of the staff running around back stage gave them a mixture of funny and knowing looks as they raced towards the dressing room. Haley pushed open the door with all her might and was more than thankful to see the room empty. Nathan immediately closed it behind them and then locked it before wrapping his arms around her and shoving her up against it.

"I am loving this whole 'hot newlywed sex' thing," Haley panted as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Me too baby," he said in between hot kisses on her neck. "Me too."

It felt like Nathan's hands were everywhere at once, tugging at her clothing. She could feel him trying to pull her belted dress over her head and reached down to stop him.

"There's a belt," she said, wrapping her legs around his waist. "No time."

"Tutor Wife, if you two are in there having sex I'm having Nathan castrated!" Brooke hollered as she pounded on the door.

"Shit," Nathan cursed. "Way to cock block, Davis."

"You've got a whole lot more to be worried about than me just blocking your cock of one stand of hair on Tutor Wife's head is out of place!"

"Give us a minute, Brooke," Haley called and then sighed heavily before turning to Nathan. "I'll make it up to you, baby. I promise."

Ten minutes and four stolen kisses later they finally came out of the dressing room looking as in tact as they were when they'd gone in. Brooke was standing outside with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently against the tile floor. She glared at both of them before marching back towards the green room, obviously expecting them to follow.

"You think she'll notice if we slip back inside," Nathan whispered hotly into Haley's ear.

"I think I like your… um… you know too much to risk it," Haley said with a giggle, blushing heavily.

"I love you, baby," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. "You know that?"

"I love you too," she replied, leaning up on her tip toes to kiss him lightly on the mouth.

"Ms. James, Mr. Scott, you have five minutes," someone in a head set said as they hurried up to Nathan and Haley.

"It's Mrs. Scott," Haley said, her arms around Nathan's waist.

"Sorry," the man said. "Mrs. Scott, if you two will just walk up those stairs right there you can hear when your names are called."

…

"So, the country is dying to know," Oprah said. "How did you two meet?"

"Well," Haley said, looking up adoringly at her husband. "We actually met when Nathan started physical therapy at the same gym I was going through my therapy at. Our therapist put us together and then we just kind of hit it off."

"After I was a complete jerk of course," Nathan interjected with a chuckle. "I didn't think she would ever give me the time of day."

"How did you go from that to this?" the older woman asked.

"He apologized," Haley shrugged. "I took pity on him."

"She made me squirm a bit first," he said. "But the old Scott charm worked on her after a while."

"A couple of dates and I was hooked," she said.

The interview was going a lot better than Haley had anticipated. Nathan was polite and charming. She knew he could be, but every now and then he got a bit surly with the press. He'd even managed to go for the last twenty minutes without using a single curse word. It was quite the accomplishment for Nathan Scott some times.

"So, Haley, I heard your parents passed away about a month ago," Oprah said. "Did that contribute to your decision to get married?"

Haley tightened her grip on Nathan's hand and he rubbed soothing circles on the back of hers with his thumb. He watched as she fiddled with the hem of her navy blue dress for a moment before taking a deep breath and finally looked back up at Oprah. They'd known the question was coming, but Nathan would give anything to erase the look of pain from his wife's face when she was asked to talk about her parents' deaths.

"I've loved Nathan for a long time," she said after a pause. "Wanting to marry him was never in question for me. Then I found out about my parents and things changed a bit. My parents were definitely 'grab life by the horns' kind of people. Very live in the moment. Losing them so abruptly made me realize that life is short. We're not guaranteed tomorrow, and I want to spend as much of my life as I can as Nathan's wife."

"That's very well put, Haley," Oprah said. "So, can you tell us a little bit about the wedding?"

"Well, it was really last minute," Nathan said. "We'd been engaged for a month and Haley called me and told me she wanted to get married right away. So, we got married on the beach outside of our house that night."

"Nathan managed to get it all together," Haley said. "I don't know how he did it, but it was perfect. He even managed to find a minister who didn't dress in a white and gold jumpsuit on such short notice. It was really beautiful. There were all these tiki torches to light the path down to the beach."

"You're forgetting the bride, baby," he said, leaning over to kiss the side of her head. "She took my breath away."

"You two are too cute," Oprah said. "So, Haley, would you be willing to sing something for us?"

"I would love to," Haley said with a gracious smile.

She squeezed Nathan's hand before disentangling her fingers from his and then making her way over to where one of her guitars was set up waiting for her. She slung the strap around her and reached down to make sure the chords were firmly attached.

"This song is called 'The Right Time'," she said. "It's on my new album that's going to be released eventually."

Oprah watched the way Nathan's eyes glowed when he watched Haley play. It was kind of like seeing the look on a groom's face at the moment he saw his bride coming down the aisle for the first time. She'd had her doubts when she'd heard that the playboy NBA star had married the sweet little pop star. She had to admit that she'd assumed that it was mostly a publicity stunt that was most likely to end in divorce, but the look on Nathan Scott's face when he watched his wife sing spoke volumes. That boy was most definitely head over heels.

"So, what was the inspiration for that song, Haley?" Oprah asked after Haley had retaken her seat.

"Would it sound cheesy if I said it was Nathan?" Haley said with a laugh. "Seriously, though, we had a few crazy days right before my parents died and I was sitting in my apartment waiting for him to get there when the idea for the song came to me. I just kind of sat there and wrote it in about an hour."

"Well, it's lovely," the older woman said. "So, when is your new album going to be released?"

"That's kind of in limbo right now," Haley replied, brushing her hair back out of her face. "But I assure you and all of my fans that it's going to be soon. We're in the process of putting the final touches on it right now. But I would like everyone to know that when my album is released, it won't be under Haley James. It'll be Haley James Scott."

"Really, baby?" Nathan asked with a grin.

"Yep," she said, returning his smile. "That's my legal name now. It's going to be my stage name too."

"And how about you, Nathan?" she said. "Any idea when you're going to start playing ball again?"

"Well, I'm still working on that," Nathan said. "I'm back on the court. But we're trying to make sure that my knee is fully rehabbed before I start playing again. I don't want to do any permanent damage to it that could end my career."

"So, what's next for you two?" Oprah asked.

"Um," Haley said, looking up at Nathan. "Well, I was thinking we could redecorate the house. And then there's Thanksgiving, finishing up my album, getting Nathan back to the NBA. We're pretty busy at the moment."

"You want to redecorate the house?" Nathan asked with a frown.

"Well, right now, baby, it still looks like a bachelor's pad," she said with a shrug. "It's still your house. I want it to be our house."

"I want it to be our house too," he said and then pressed his lips lightly against hers.

"Sounds like you two are going to be pretty busy," Oprah laughed.

"It's nothing we can't handle," Nathan replied and then wrapped his arm around Haley's shoulders.

"Well, it was really nice talking to the two of you," she said.

"We really enjoyed it," Haley replied.

"That was Nathan and Haley James Scott everyone," Oprah said. "Let's give them a big round of applause."

…

After getting back from Chicago, Haley was more than ready to get back into the studio. Nathan dropped her off at the door outside the studio when he was on his appointment at the gym with Lucas. She walked in and propped her large sunglasses on top of her head. Andrew and Walker immediately rushed up to her and she was pulled into tight embraces by both men.

"So, what's this we hear about you getting married without us?" Walker asked.

"Are you mad at me?" she said with a sheepish grin.

"We're wondering what happened to our invitations," Andrew said.

"It was really last minute, boys," Haley replied. "You know that I would have invited you if I could. We only had Brooke and Lucas and Nathan's agent Jake and his girlfriend."

"I guess we can forgive you," Walker said after a pause.

"You know I love you guys," Haley said, squeezing them both one more time.

"Yeah, yeah," Andrew said. "We love you too short stuff."

"Ah, Miss James," Mr. Mills said as he walked out of his office. "So nice to see you've returned."

"It's good to be back, Mr. Mills," Haley said with her most polite smile. "And it's not Miss James anymore. It's Mrs. James Scott now."

"Oh yes, I'd heard that silly little rumor," he said.

"It's not a rumor, sir," Haley said, clenching her fists.

"Hmm…" Mr. Mills said noncommittally. "Well, step into my office. I think I may have found what's your album is missing. _Mrs._ James Scott, I'd like you to meet Chris Keller."

A/N: So, I'm sorry to be posting so late. I've been so busy lately I completely forgot that I hadn't finished writing this chapter.


	17. Battles

"Did the kitchen explode?" Nathan asked.

Haley looked up at him and glared before dumping the contents of the drawer she was holding onto the island countertop and shoving the drawer back in its place. The entire kitchen was in complete disarray. The contents of drawers and cabinets were all scattered haphazardly across the countertops and Haley stood in the middle of all of it looking like she was about ready to kill something. She'd changed out of the dress she'd been wearing earlier and had slipped on one of Nathan's Lakers t-shirts instead. She'd rolled up the sleeves and tied up the back with a hair tie so that it fit her a little better. God, he loved it when she wore his clothes. He could tell though by the clenching and unclenching of her jaw that it was so not the time.

"I have no idea how you ever find anything in this kitchen," she said, shoving a handful of serving spoons into the drawer she'd just emptied. "Seriously, Nathan, this entire place is a mess. Do you ever put things back where they belong? This is going to take me all night."

"I don't really cook much," Nathan said cautiously as he eyed the chaos around him. "I think the interior decorator just stuck things places. The only thing I used regularly was the bottle opener."

"Explains why that is constantly left on the counter," Haley snapped.

"Is there a reason why you felt the need to organize our kitchen?" he said.

"Because this place is a disaster area!" she said, turning to shove a knife in a drawer next to the stove. "Your knives and serving spoons are all mixed together. The salad bowls are across the kitchen from the plates. Your pots are nowhere near the stove…"

"Is there another reason why you're organizing our kitchen?"

"Chris Keller," she spat, slamming the drawer she'd just stuck a set of carving knives in.

"Who?"

"Chris freaking Keller," she said, slamming another drawer. "And Mr. Mills. Maybe even mostly Mr. Mills and his stupid ideas."

"Who exactly is Chris Keller?" Nathan said, inching cautiously towards her.

"Some stupid little punk ass wannabe who knows absolutely nothing about me or my music," she said. "He called my music soulless, Nathan! Soulless! And now Mr. Mills wants me to do some crappy duet with him, some little no name punk who's never even released a single."

"Your music isn't soulless, baby," he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Tell him and Mr. Mills that," she grumbled, sagging back against him. "I'm a Grammy winning recording artist! I'm so far above recording duets with no-names this is completely ridiculous! God, I sound like such a bitch, don't I?"

"Maybe just a little bit," he said, kissing her cheek.

"He's not a punk wannabe," Haley conceded with a heavy sigh as she turned around to face him. "He's more like an emo wannabe."

"Not exactly helping your case here, babe," Nathan laughed.

"I'm just so…" she said. "God, I'm just so frustrated! There's no way that little… There's no way that Keller is going to be the thing missing from my album. You know he refers to himself in the third person? Who does that?"

"Actually, I had a friend back in high school who did," he said with a chuckle. "He constantly referred to himself as 'The Tim'."

"Well it sounds like he and 'The Keller' would get along just fine," she spat. "I wouldn't have to put up with this at any other label, you know. Anyone else would be kissing my ass instead of kicking at all the time."

"So, why don't you switch labels?"

"Because Bright Star currently holds the rights to all of my songs on the new album," she sighed. "They're not officially _mine_ again until the album's released. It keeps me from being able to switch labels in the middle of an album and causing the label to lose a ton of money. Oh, and I'm under contract for the tour."

"So, screw the tour," he said.

"I can't do that!" she gasped. "Tickets have already gone on sale. I'm getting fan mail from twelve year olds about how excited they are to see me and how mine is going to be their first concert. I can't just not go on tour."

"It just doesn't seem worth it if it gets you this upset, Hales," he said and then kissed her forehead.

"You know that feeling you get when you step out onto the court before a home game?" Haley said after a pause. "And the crowd goes wild chanting your name the moment they see you? That's how it feels every time I step on stage for a concert. It's like the greatest feeling in the world. Not touring would mean not getting that feeling. It makes all the times where I feel like I'm not good enough or when I want to pull my hair out completely worth it."

"I can understand that," he said, pulling her tightly against his chest. "I just don't like to see you upset."

"I'm just throwing a diva fit or something," she sighed, resting her cheek against him as he softly stroked her hair.

"I was wondering when your diva side was going to come out," he chuckled. "I did marry a pop star after all."

"Oh, hush you," she said, lightly smacking him. "You love me and you know it."

"Of course I do," he replied and then leaned down and kissed her. "I met your crazy family and still married you, didn't I?"

"Hey, my brothers and sisters have nothing on your dad," she replied and then winced. "Too soon?"

"Actually, I have to talk to you about that," he said. "Why don't we leave this disaster area and go sit down in the living room?"

"You want me to sit down?" Haley said, looking up at him skeptically. "Is someone dying? Please tell me Dan isn't stopping by for another visit…"

"No, no one's dying," Nathan assured her as they walked towards the living room with their arms around each other. "But I talked to my mom today."

"Oh," she said, taking a seat on the new brown suede sofa she'd ordered the week before. "What did she say?"

They'd slowly been working on redecorating the house. Most of the walls had already gotten a new coat of paint and Haley'd slowly been picking out new furniture. She and Brooke would go to the various galleries around town whenever they both had a few free hours. Nathan had gone with them at first, but after making sure he liked the new sofa for the living room, he'd quickly lost interest.

"She wants us to come to Tree Hill for Thanksgiving," Nathan said. "She wants to meet you and so do my grandparents."

"What about your dad?"

"Well, he'll be there too," Nathan said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know the situation isn't ideal, but you like Tree Hill, right? And Lucas and Brooke are going to be there too. I talked to Lucas this morning after my mom called."

"You called Lucas?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, a faint blush staining his cheeks.

"Good," she said and leaned up to kiss him softly. "I'm glad."

"So, are you okay with going to Tree Hill?" he asked. "Or is your family having some sort of get together?"

"I'd like to go to Tree Hill with you," she said. "And I'd love to see Luke's mom and Keith again."

"You don't mind having to be around my dad?"

"I don't like your dad," she said after a pause. "But he's still your dad and he's only a part of your family. I'm reserving my judgment on the rest of them. I should probably put the kitchen back together now…"

"Or we could go up to the bedroom…" he suggested, whispering huskily into her ear as his arms came around her. Something about the way she was willing to put up with his family was just so sexy. And she'd done that thing where she bit her lip. It drove him wild when she bit her lip.

"Nathan, I need to put the kitchen back together," she said, pushing away from him as he started to kiss her neck. "I can't do… this… knowing it's such a mess."

"But _this_ is so much more fun, baby," he murmured against her skin.

"You know," she said after a moment. "We haven't exactly christened the kitchen yet, but if you help me… Well… you know that thing we did on the bathroom counter…"

"Yeah…"

"I bet it would work even better in the kitchen," she whispered into his ear before quickly getting up off the couch and sashaying towards the kitchen.

Nathan sat there on the couch for a minute, his eyes wide and his breathing heavy, before he shot up off the couch. That thing on the counter was amazing. He'd rearrange the whole damn kitchen himself if it meant Haley was up for that again. He quickly made his way into the kitchen where Haley winked at him and then shoved a bunch of pots into his arms. That thing on the counter was so worth a few pots and pans.

…

"Nathan, you really didn't have to come with me," Haley said as they walked in Bright Star. He was caring her guitar case with one hand and hand the other resting against the small of her back.

"I've got to meet this Keller," he said with a shrug. "He's going to be spending a lot of time with my wife, after all."

"So now I'm just your wife?" she said, scrunching up her nose.

"You're my everything, baby," he replied before leaning down to kiss her softly on the cheek, but she turned her head at that moment and he kissed her lips instead.

"You're so sexy when you talk like that," Haley said, wrapping her arms around his torso.

Haley bit her lower lip and smiled up at her handsome husband. No one could pull off a white button down shirt and a dark pair of jeans quite like Nathan could, in her opinion anyway. The cotton of his shirt was soft against the bare skin of her arms as she hugged him and she wanted to stand there all day in his embrace. She heard him inhale softly, breathing in her scent as he let his chin rest on her hair. She was about to lean up to kiss him again when someone cleared their throat.

"Just because you two are married now, doesn't mean we want to practically see you make out in front of us," Andrew said.

"You're just jealous because you can't get a girlfriend," Haley shot back, her head still resting against Nathan's chest.

"What are you talking about?" Andrew scoffed. "I practically have to beat the ladies off with a stick."

"More like they're beating you with a stick," she laughed.

"Okay, that was one time," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "And in my defense, she was like 90 years old and Walker pushed me into her. She thought I was trying to snatch her purse."

"Whatever you say, man," Nathan chuckled, setting Haley's guitar down and leaning the case against the wall.

"Seriously, though, Hales," Andrew said as they started walking farther into the studio. "I'm so freaking glad you're here. That Keller's been driving us nuts all morning. The dude needs an off switch. He won't shut up. Do you think Mills would get mad if we killed him?"

"Since he thinks Keller's the missing piece to my record, yes," Haley said. "I think he'd be mad if you killed Keller."

"That little punk just tried to touch my drums!" Walker said, storming out of one of the recording booths and slamming the door behind him. "No one touches my drums but me."

"And the roadies," Haley said.

"And all those girls who fawn over you because 'it's _so_ cool that you're a drummer'," Andrew added.

":Shut up," Walker said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hey, Nathan, glad to see you man. How's married life?"

"Great," Nathan said, squeezing Haley slightly and dropping a kiss on the top of her head,

"We heard you two were totally going at it in your dressing room when you were on Opera last week…"

"Who told you?" Haley said, blushing heavily.

"You really think Brooke Davis could honestly keep something like that to herself?" Andrew laughed. "I think she called us almost as soon as she was done being pissed with you."

"Remind me to kill Brooke later," she mumbled to Nathan.

"Sure thing, babe," Nathan said, chuckling before kissing the top of her head again.

"Yo," an unfamiliar voice called out as the man who Nathan could only assume was Chris Keller stepped out of the recording booth Walker had just stormed out of. "Are we actually going to do something with music today or is Chris Keller just being paid to sit around on his ass?"

Nathan slowly appraised the man standing in front of him. He was short. Granted, Nathan was taller than most at 6'3". But this guy couldn't be taller than 5'7". His spiky hair looked like it was somewhere in between carefully styled and the result you get when you slather your hands with gel and then just grab your hair in you fists and tug on it. His t-shirt was way too tight and it looked like he was even wearing eyeliner. Haley'd been right when she said he was somewhere between punk and emo.

"So, this your baby's daddy?" Chris said, gesturing towards Nathan.

"I'm not pregnant," Haley replied with a frown. "Let's get to work."

"If you're not pregnant, why'd you get married?"

"Because that's what you do when you love someone," she said exasperatedly. "You marry them. Seriously, we're not here to discuss my personal life. We're here to record a song and get Mills off my back. So, let's just get to work."

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Chris mumbled.

"Someone's about to get their face punched in if they don't stop messing with my wife," Nathan said, his fingers curling into a fist as he took a step towards the smaller man.

"Nathan," Haley said, laying a restraining hand on his arm. "Don't. He's not worth it."

"I'm not going to just sit back and let this punk talk to you like that," he said.

"Then maybe you should go home," she said softly.

"What?"

"Maybe you should leave," she said, dropping her hand from his arm and looking down at the floor.

"Haley…"

"Go, Nathan," she said. "Someone has to be there to sign for the new dining room table anyway. I'll be home in a few hours."

"Fine," he thundered and Haley winced when the glass panes on the door to the studio rattled as he slammed it behind him.

"Someone has anger issues," Chris said, running his fingers through his hair. "I thought he was going to bash Chris Keller's face in."

"Why don't you shut up?" Walker said. "Go in the booth. We'll be in in a few minutes."

"Fine," Chris said, holding up his hands submissively as he backed towards the glass door. "The Keller knows when he's not wanted."

"Not hardly," Walker muttered and then leaned with his back against the door so that Chris couldn't see them talking.

The three of them stood there in the hallway in silence for a long moment. Haley looked like she was on the verge of years and both men gave her time to compose herself. She ran her fingers through her straightened hair and sighed heavily before attempting to smile at him. She pushed up the sleeves of her red cardigan to her elbows and then fingered the top of her guitar case.

"That was a mistake, Hales," Andrew said, casually throwing his arm around her shoulders.

"I know," Haley said softly, still looking at the ground as she fiddled with the dark blue fabric of her skirt. "But I couldn't let him get in a fight."

"I'm not going to tell you how to live your life here," he said. "I mean, it's your marriage and all, but you can't just send him away whenever he does something you don't like."

"I know," she repeated with another heavy sigh. "It's just… If Nathan hit Chris, you know Chris would go to the tabloids. The Lakers are being patient and waiting for Nathan to get fully recovered, but if he's getting in fights… I just don't want anything to go wrong for him."

"You can't stop him from fighting for you, Hales," Walker said. "He loves you. He's going to fight back when he thinks someone is going to hurt you. How many asses have we had to kick for you over the last few years?"

"I know you two are right," she said. "I just… Let's just get in the studio. The faster we record this song, the faster Chris Keller is out of our lives."

…

When Haley got back to the house that night everything was dark. Not even the front porch light was on. She sighed heavily as she climbed out of the cab she'd had to call and dug her wallet out of her purse to hand a few bills to the cab driver. She slowly climbed up the front steps and tested to see if the front door was unlocked. The knob turned easily in her hand and she pushed the door open so she could walk inside.

The house was silent. It was kind of eerie as Haley walked softly around, trying to get as clue as to where her husband might be. She walked into the kitchen to see if he'd left some sort of note when she noticed the French doors that led out onto the patio were cracked. As she got closer to them, she could faintly hear the sound of a basketball bouncing against concrete and then the rattle of the backboard. She slipped off her navy blue pumps and softly padded towards the doors, leaving her shoes behind so that the click of the heels against the concrete didn't alert Nathan of her presence.

She stood there watching him for a minute with her arms wrapped around herself. L.A. was still pretty mild temperature wise in November, but the nights were a little chilly. She could tell by the way Nathan was moving around the court that he was angry. Tension radiated off of him in waves from the way he bounced the ball to the way he slammed it into the hoop. He was dunking it though. That was a good sign. Not for them but for his basketball career. Lucas had told her several times that he still seemed afraid to dunk every now and then. She figured at that moment he was too angry to even think about his leg.

"I'm sorry," she called softly, causing his head to jerk in her direction.

He looked at her for a long moment and opened his mouth as if he was going to say something. After a second he closed it again and shot the ball from where he was standing. It sailed in a perfect arc towards the hoop and went through with a soft swish, not even touching the rim.

"I shouldn't have told you to leave like that," she continued as he chased after the ball. "I know you were just trying to defend me."

Nathan dribbled the ball a few times and slowly jogged back across the court so that he was just outside the three-point line. He shot the ball again and it sailed perfectly towards the hoop just like the first time. If she hadn't been silently begging him to talk to her, Haley would have enjoyed the show he was putting on. Nathan had so much grace on the basketball court. She'd never been able to stand watching Lucas shoot hoops. She had usually brought a book along when she'd gone with Brooke to watch him shoot around whenever she would visit them in college. Watching Nathan though, it was like listening to a song. There was something about the way he moved that just completely bared his soul. When he played by himself she could always see past all the bluster and BS that he put on for everyone else.

"Nathan, please talk to me," she called after a few minutes.

"I don't know what to say, Haley," he replied. "You chose that little shit over me. What am I supposed to say to that?"

"I didn't choose Chris over you," she said. "I was just trying to keep you from getting hurt."

"You think that little punk could hurt me?" he scoffed.

"No," she said. "I know you could take Chris Keller. But you really think he wouldn't have gone to the tabloids if you'd hit him?"

"I don't care about the damn tabloids," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But you care about your basketball career," Haley said. "You getting in a fight really wouldn't look good. You know that."

"You're more important to me than basketball, Haley," he said after a long pause.

She stood there for a long moment, staring up at him. Her eyes seemed to be searching his face as the last vestiges of sunlight slipped down beneath the horizon. Nathan shifted a little uncomfortably under her scrutiny for a moment before she took a few steps towards him and threw herself into his arms. He didn't really have any choice but to embrace her. She wrapped her arms around his sweaty torso and rested her cheek against his chest.

"Did you ever doubt that, Hales?" he asked softly after holding her for a few minutes. "Thought I loved basketball more than you?"

"Of course not," she said with a sigh. "It's just really nice to hear you say that. I really am sorry, Nathan. I'm so sorry. I was sorry the minute you walked out that door."

"It's okay, baby," he said, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "And I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have blown up at that guy like that. But you know what I'm not sorry for?"

"What?" she said with a puzzled frown.

"I'm not sorry for trying to protect you," Nathan said, stroking her hair softly. "I will never be sorry for trying to protect you. I will never be the guy who can stand back and watch while the world hurts you. I can't and won't be that guy. You mean too much to me for that."

"Okay," Haley said after a pause and then pushed herself up on her tip toes to capture his lips with hers.

"Okay," he repeated after breaking the kiss. "So, did we just have our first fight?"

"Nathan, we've definitely fought before," she said with a laugh.

"I mean our first fight as a married couple," he said, tightening his grip around her waist.

"Oh," she said, looking up at him thoughtfully. "I guess we did."

"So, you know the best part about fighting?" he said with a grin.

"What's that?"

"Makeup sex," he said, his grin widening.

"I don't know…" she said teasingly. "I'm kind of tired…"

"I'll show you tired," Nathan said, lifting her up in his arms.

"Put me down!" she squealed as he raced back into the house and up the stairs. "Nathan! You're all sweaty!"

"I thought you liked me all sweaty," he said, putting her down when he reached the bedroom.

"Not when you're smelly too," she said.

"Then I guess you'll just have to clean me up," he whispered huskily into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her. "What do you say to a shower?"

"No," she said after a pause, shaking her head. "I think the bathtub is feeling a little under appreciated."

"I like the way you think, Haley James Scott," he said, taking her hand and leading her towards their bathroom. "I like the way you think."

…

Haley was a little tired as she made her way into the studio the next morning. Nathan had wanted to "makeup" several more times after their initial round in the bathtub the night before, and she just couldn't say no to her sexy husband. He'd wanted to come to the studio with her, but she'd quickly vetoed that idea. Chris had made several snide remarks about Nathan after he'd left the day before and Haley really didn't want them getting into it again. Besides, he had an appointment with Luke. He'd been missing far too many of them lately because of their various press engagements after the announcement of their marriage.

She was ready to do it on her own though. Her hair was pulled back in a high pony tail. She was wearing her favorite sweatshirt of Nathan's and her favorite pair of jeans. Nathan had particularly liked her wearing his sweatshirt. "Scott" was written across the back and he said that it was like branding her as his. She just liked it because it smelled like him. It was far too big on her, coming down to about her knees, but it was almost as good as being wrapped up in his arms.

"Daddy finally let you off your leash?" Chris asked as she walked into the recording booth.

"Okay," Haley said with a heavy sigh, pulling the strap from her guitar case over her head and setting the case down on the floor next to her. "Here's how it's going to be. You and I are going to work together and we're going to write this song because we have to. I am the real expert here. The platinum records on my wall are the proof. You're going to listen to what I say and you're going to stop with the snide comments about my music and my husband. I may not be willing to let Nathan kick your ass but that doesn't mean that I won't."

"Is that it?" he asked, looking up at her with one eyebrow arched.

"Yes," she said. "Wait, no, and you won't touch Walker's drums again, or any of our instruments for that matter unless given express permission."

"Okay," he said.

"Okay?"

"Okay," Chris repeated. "I get it. So, I had a few ideas for the song."

"You're not going to fight me on this?" she asked, frowning.

"Nope," he said. "You're the boss."

"That's right," she said after a pause. "I'm the boss. So, let's hear your ideas."

"Okay," he said. "So, I was thinking instead of your usual love ballad, we could do something with a couple that's just kind of lost touch with each other. There aren't enough songs about that."

"That actually sounds like a good idea," Haley said, nodding her head slowly. "I like it. Okay, what exactly is it that we want to say?"

A/N: Here's another late in the day update. I had this chapter almost done and then I just didn't like it and completely rewrote the second half. The fight wasn't there originally and it just needed to be. I got the idea at about 2 a.m. and was so busy all day with school stuff, I just couldn't get it written until now. I know Chris Keller was sort of a shock. After reading what everyone had to say on the matter, I decided that I wanted him. I promise though that he and Haley aren't going to kiss. So, at least there's that. He'll be around for a while, but not so much in the next chapter since they'll be going to Tree Hill. So, I hope you enjoyed this and I hope you review. Reviews are always super appreciated.


	18. Welcome to Hell

"Welcome to Tree Hill, home of the Ravens," Haley red as they passed the blue and white sign on their way into town.

"More like welcome to Hell, home of the devil," Nathan grumbled and Haley reached over to lightly caress his shoulder.

"Hey," she said. "What did we talk about for this trip? We're not going in expecting a disaster…"

"Haley, you've met my dad," he said. "How can we expect anything less than a disaster?"

"Well, at least Lucas and Brooke will be there too," she said as Nathan took her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

"It's cute that you think that'll make it better."

"Nathan…"

"Hales," he said. "You only saw a glimpse of my dad when he came to L.A. He's mayor here in Tree Hill and he's probably a thousand times worse."

Haley sighed and squeezed his hand softly. Nathan had been in the same dark mood since they'd gotten to the airport that morning. She'd known that going back to Tree Hill would set him on edge. He didn't exactly have the happy memories that Lucas did thanks to Dan Scott. They'd at least gotten through the airport without any problems. Nathan just got tenser and tenser the closer they got to North Carolina.

Lucas and Brooke had been on the plane with them, but a few rows away. Brooke had wanted to banish Nathan to sit back with his brother, but one glimpse at the look on Nathan's face when she'd come up to talk to Haley and she'd immediately slipped back to her seat. He'd been rhythmically clenching and unclenching his jaw since he first sat down. Haley was pretty sure the perky blonde flight attendant was scared of her husband. She'd offered Nathan one drink and when he glared at her, she'd gone running back down the aisle.

They'd managed to get their bags without incident. He hadn't blown up at the paparazzi that were waiting for them. He'd patiently waited at the rental car counter. Well, he hadn't complained while they waited at the rental car counter. It was more like he'd kept his Carolina Panthers baseball cap low on his forehead to hide his face and kept up the clenching and unclenching of his jaw. Some people had pointed, obviously recognizing the celebrity couple, but kept their distance thanks to Nathan's stiff posture.

"We don't have to stay with your parents, you know," she said after a pause. "Lucas said that Karen and Keith would be more than happy to let us stay there. Or we could find a hotel."

"And give my dad something else to bitch about?" Nathan said. "No thank you."

"Nathan," Haley sighed. "Please tell me that you're not going to be like this the whole time we're here."

"I'm sorry, baby," he said, squeezing her hand. "I just don't want this to be like last time you met my dad."

"Then don't let it be, Nathan," she said, squeezing back. "Don't let him get to you. I know it's hard. But if it's ever too much just squeeze my hand and we'll get out of there."

"You promise?"

"I promise," she said and then leaned over the center console of the black SUV to kiss his cheek softly. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied as he turned onto his old street. "Here we are."

"Wow," Haley said, looking up at the house as Nathan pulled into the driveway. I think you could have fit five of the house I grew up in in this place."

"I bet your house was a lot more fun to grow up in," he grumbled, shifting the car into park.

"Hey," she said, reaching over to squeeze his hand again. "Remember what we talked about?"

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled as he climbed down out of the SUV and went over to open Haley's door for her as well.

Almost as soon as her car door shut, the front door to the house was flung open. A petite middle-aged blonde woman came running out towards Nathan. Haley could only assume that it must be his mom, Deb. He'd shown her a picture once of the two of them together at his high school graduation. It was probably the only one he had in the house. She hadn't aged a bit over the last six years though.

"Nathan!" she called as she scampered down the steps to embrace her only son. "I can't believe you're actually here."

"Neither can I," he grumbled to himself, half heartedly returning her hug.

"And you must be Haley," Deb said, turning to the younger woman next to her son. "I must say those magazine photos don't do you justice. I'm Deb, Nathan's mom."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Scott," Haley said, holding out her hand, but Deb ignored it and embraced her instead. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you," Deb said as Nathan unloaded their rolling suitcases out of the back of the car. "Your father's still at town hall for the day, Nathan. He'll be home for supper."

"Great," he said.

"I can get my suitcase, Nathan," Haley said, reaching for the handle but Nathan shook his head.

"I've got it, babe" he replied, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

"You two are just too cute together," Deb nearly squealed. "I can't tell you how glad I am that Nathan finally found someone, Haley. I was starting to worry…"

"That's enough, Mom," Nathan said. "We're pretty tired after the flight. I think we're just going to go up to my old room and take a nap or something before dinner."

"Oh, okay," Deb said, taking a step back as though Nathan had reached out to hit her or something.

Haley frowned a little as she looked between the two of them, but followed Nathan silently up the stairs towards his old bedroom. It wasn't hard to imagine a teenage Nathan living there with the dark blue walls and the black and grey comforter on the bed. Posters for rap musicians covered a lot of the walls. The only things that were missing were pictures. The room looked like something out of a catalog, not a place where someone actually lived. Other than the posters, there weren't any personal touches that made it feel like a home. Haley guessed it was probably different when Nathan was actually living there, but the contrast between Lucas's old room in Tree Hill and Nathan's was astounding.

"I'm sorry about my mom," Nathan said, sinking down onto the bed.

"You don't have anything to apologize for," she assured him as he opened his arms to her and she took a seat on his lap. "She seems nice."

"She seems fake," he replied.

"This isn't the way to start our visit, Nathan," she said, tucking her head under his chin and wrapping her arms around his torso. "She seems like she's trying. Could you please just try back?"

"Fine," he sighed. "I'll be good. I promise."

"Thank you," Haley said, rubbing his back softly. "I'm ready for that nap you mentioned to your mom."

"Oh, I didn't bring you up here for a nap," he said with a grin as he laid her down on the bed.

"Nathan!" she nearly shrieked and then flushed with embarrassment. "I am not having _sex _with you in your _parents'_ house!"

"You're seriously denying me sex for the next five days?"

"Well, it's not gonna happen here," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not with your parents in the house."

"You were all for it in your sister's house," Nathan said.

"Those were extenuating circumstances," Haley replied defensively. "You'd just asked me to marry you."

"Hales…"

"No, Nathan," she said, scooting away from him.

"Fine," he grumbled, laying down on the bed next to her.

He curled up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. Her dark grey sweater had ridden up slightly, exposing some of her creamy skin. His fingers immediately started to trace patterns on her exposed flesh, and he smiled when she sighed contentedly. Haley snuggled back closer to him. He couldn't contain his grin as his hand snaked up higher under her sweater. He continued to trace the soft slow circles, and she sighed. He'd just gotten to the underwire of her bra when he felt her hand grip his wrist tightly and pull it out from under her shirt.

"Hands, mister," she said, placing his hand back on her hip. "I'm serious about the no sex thing."

"Hales…"

"Nathan…"

"Fine," he grumbled again as she turned in his arms so that she was facing him.

"I love you," she said, snuggling into his chest.

"Love you too," he said, stroking her hair.

No sex for almost a week. Nathan was definitely not a fan. He'd gone months without having sex before their marriage and sex with Haley… It just kept getting better and better. If he'd learned one thing about his wife since their wedding, however, it was that she craved their physical intimacy almost as much as he did. She wouldn't be able to last five days any more than he could. He'd bet money on it. All he had to do was get her to crack. He didn't know when or where, but he knew it was going to happen.

…

"Nathan, I think your cutting off the circulation to my fingers," Haley said softly, trying to pull her hand away from his tight grip.

"Well, you obviously weren't getting the message," Nathan replied. "You said if I wanted to get out of here, all I had to do was squeeze your hand."

"We've only been down here for five minutes," she said.

"Five minutes with the devil is more than enough," he grumbled.

Haley laughed softly and then leaned up to kiss his cheek. He finally let go of the death grip he'd had on her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pressing her as close to him as possible. They'd been down in the living room with his parents for five minutes and Nathan already wanted to run. If he had his way, he'd run all the way to the airport and onto the first plane back to L.A. There were reasons why he'd left Tree Hill and sitting there with his family reminded him of every last one of them.

First there was his dad. Dan Scott was the epitome of a snake in the grass on almost every occasion. The only time he wasn't was when he was the snake that had just bitten you and was watching you writhe on the ground in pain. He was currently over at the liquor cabinet, supposedly getting both himself and Nathan a scotch on the rocks, but Nathan was pretty certain he was just trying to listen intently to whatever they were saying. He'd been sickeningly pleasant when Nathan and Haley had come downstairs for drinks before dinner. He'd complimented Haley's navy blue dress and told Nathan how well he was looking. He was acting like their fight in L.A. had never happened and it was driving Nathan crazy.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything, Haley?" Dan asked, handing Nathan his scotch and then taking a seat in the chair across from them.

"No thank you, Mr. Scott," she said. "I'm not much of a drinker."

"You're not pregnant, are you?" he asked, causing Nathan to choke on the sip he'd just taken.

"No, sir," she replied after a pause, her eyes wide with shock.

"You didn't sound very sure of that answer," Dan said.

"I'm not pregnant," Haley said, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair back behind her ear.

"Are you two ever planning on having children?"

"Yes," Nathan interjected. "Someday. Probably not any time soon."

"Kids?" Haley said, looking up at him.

"Yeah," he replied. "Maybe one or two."

"A son with your eyes?"

"No," he said, kissing her forehead. "A little girl, just like you."

Haley felt her mouth go dry as she stared up into her husband's eyes. She licked her lips and then blinked a few times before looking away. He was so fighting dirty about the no sex thing. They'd mentioned kids in passing once or twice before and he was well aware of how sexy she found it when he talked about it. He'd gotten that dark, smoldering look in his eyes and she could feel her knees start to go weak.

"Well, I hope you two are able to work out a good custody agreement," Dan said, effectively killing the moment.

"Excuse me?" Nathan said, his eyes going from dark with lust to pale with hate in nearly a split second.

"Most celebrity marriages last, what, five years at most?" Dan said.

"Haley and I won't be getting divorced, Dad," Nathan nearly spat and Haley reached behind him to rub his back soothingly.

"Dinner's ready," Deb said as she walked into the room, completely oblivious to the storm brewing between her husband and son. "Don't worry. I didn't actually do any of the cooking. Karen brought everything over. All I had to do was heat it up."

There was reason number two why Nathan hated Tree Hill. It wasn't that he hated his mom. She was just so oblivious to everything. He was never entirely sure if she just didn't notice the obvious tension between her husband and her son or if she just chose to ignore it all. It had been like that ever since Nathan was a kid. She just never seemed to see that the men in her life never seemed to be able to get along. She walked into rooms where the tension was so thick it was choking everyone and could announce that dinner was ready like nothing was wrong.

"Great timing, Mom," Nathan said, standing up and then helping Haley to her feet as well. "As usual."

Deb looked between her husband and her son a little uncertainly and Haley shot her the best weak smile she could. Nathan once again had her hand in a death grip and she could almost feel her bones cracking beneath the pressure. She hated seeing him like that, with his shoulders so tense there would probably be knots in them for weeks and his eyes the color of steel rather than the ocean-like shade they usually were. She just prayed they made it through dinner without Nathan stabbing Dan with his butter knife or something like that. It was seeming more and more likely with each word out of the older man's mouth.

"Hey," she said softly, pulling him back after his parents had entered the dining room. "I love you. You know that?"

"I know, baby," he said, crushing her against his chest. "I love you too. And I'm sorry about my dad. I love you, Hales, and there's no way I'm ever letting you out of my life."

"You don't have to apologize to me," she said, leaning up to kiss him softly. "Your dad's an ass. I get it. All you have to do is just keep showing me what a great man _you_ are, Nathan Scott. I could care less what kind of man your dad is."

Nathan hugged her tightly and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He took a few deep breaths, the soft vanilla scent of her hair calming him down. He could feel the warmth radiating from her body as her cheek rested against the soft cotton of his white button down shirt. Just the feeling of him in her arms made some of the tension leave his body. The feeling of her finger tips softly tracing patterns on his back caused him to sigh and sag a little against her.

"Are you two coming?" Deb asked, poking her head out of the door. "Dinner's getting cold."

"We'll be right there, Mrs. Scott," Haley said, not pausing in her ministrations on Nathan's back. Maybe coming back to Tree Hill for Thanksgiving hadn't been such a good idea after all.

…

"Oh, God, Brooke," Haley sighed, sinking down on the bar stool, still in that navy blue dress from dinner. "It was awful. Dan was awful. You know he implied that Nathan and I are going to get divorced?"

"No way," Brooke said, stirring her martini. "He actually said that?"

"He said that he hoped we got a good custody arrangement for our kids," Haley groaned before swiping the martini out of Brooke's hands and downing it in one gulp. "God, I hate that man."

"Nathan did say he was the devil," Brooke said, signaling to the bartender for another drink.

"I'm not sure if that's a bad enough description," Haley said, propping her chin up in her hands. "How could someone treat their own son like that?"

Dinner had gone from bad to worse. Nathan was right when he'd said that Haley had only gotten a glimpse of Dan back when he'd come to visit L.A. Dinner had felt more like an interrogation than a family meal. Dan had grilled them about his comeback, when he thought he was going to start playing again, their marriage, Haley's music career, her duet with Chris Keller (which she had no idea how he'd found about), and countless other subjects that made her want to sink lower and lower in her chair until she disappeared completely. The man had an astounding way of making you feel like you were an inch tall in about three minutes flat and dinner had lasted over an hour.

She'd never been more thankful to already have plans with Brooke and Lucas and not be able to linger over desert. Lucas's mom, Karen, had just opened a new club in town called Tric and Brooke was eager to check it out. Haley hadn't been sure that she would be up to it after the long flight, but was more than glad for the alcohol and the time away from the Scott house once they got there. She completely understood why Nathan had left and never gone back after being there for a couple of hours with Dan Scott.

Tric was pretty much what Haley had expected when she'd learned that Karen had opened up a club. It had a pretty homey feel, but the music was good and the alcohol was abundant, two necessities for any successful night club. The interior was dark, so she hadn't had to sign that many autographs and Lucas made sure that the manager didn't ask her to sing. She normally wouldn't mind, but after the evening she'd had, she just wasn't up to it.

While she and Brooke sat at the bar knocking back martinis, Nathan and Lucas had taken possession of a pool table across the room. Sometimes Haley was still surprised by their increasing ability to get along. Lucas was spending more and more time on their couch playing NBA Live with Nathan, which Haley found both annoying and endearing most of the time. Except for the occasions when one accused the other of cheating and she had to pry them apart. Then it wasn't so endearing.

"Six ball," Nathan said, pointing with his pool stick. "Right corner pocket."

"There's no way you're going to make that, man," Lucas said, leaning against his own stick as he watched Nathan line up his shot.

"Watch me," Nathan said with a smirk. He was feeling far more relaxed since he'd gotten to the bar. After two beers, he'd started to unwind from the dinner from hell. He sank the shot easily and his smirk grew larger when he looked up at Lucas.

"Luck," Lucas scoffed before assessing the table to line up his own shot. "So, I take it that dinner didn't go very well?"

"That would be an understatement," Nathan said and then took another sip of his beer. "He asked if Haley and I are planning on having kids and then said we'd have to arrange a good custody agreement after the divorce."

"Ouch," Lucas said, rubbing the back of his neck after missing his shot.

"That was all before dinner even started," Nathan sighed. "He moved on to my basketball career and how great he would have been if it wasn't for that damn knee injury by dessert."

"Then he started going on and on about my music career," Haley said to Brooke before taking another sip of her martini. "He knew about Chris Keller. I don't know how since that hasn't been released to the media yet, but he knew."

"That man really is the devil," Brooke said, shaking her head.

"You're telling me," Haley sighed. "Oh, and then he implied that I was going to start cheating on Nathan with Chris. Something about 'you can only sing so many love songs together before you start falling for each other' or some shit like that."

"Think you ought to slow down there, Tutor Girl?" Brooke asked as Haley polished off her third martini.

"You have dinner with Satan and we'll see how much you drink," Haley said, tapping the bar to get the bartender's attention.

"And meanwhile," Nathan said, lining up his next shot. "My mom's just sitting there knocking back glass after glass of wine without a care in the world, like she doesn't even hear the conversation going on around her. She asked Haley were she'd gotten her dress after Dan mentioned our inevitable divorce for the fourth time."

"How do you do that?" Lucas asked.

"Tim had a pool table," Nathan shrugged before moving on to the next ball. "I probably spent far more time over at his house than mine in high school. And you've met Tim. There wasn't much to do but play pool."

"Well," Lucas said after Nathan missed his next shot. "You won't be alone at Thanksgiving. We'll all be there. Maybe Dan will talk about what a disappointment both his sons are."

"No," Nathan smirked. "Royal's going to chew Dan and Keith out over what a disappointment both of them are and then Dan will try to deflect everything onto us. Just shows how screwed up our family is."

"You're telling me," Lucas said, missing another shot. "Damn."

"I told you I was good at this game," Nathan shrugged. "After this ball, I've only got the eight ball left."

"Damn," Lucas said again. "How is it that you're my younger brother and you're still better than me at everything?"

"Better end of the gene pool?" Nathan shrugged before sinking the ball and then turning his attention to the eight ball.

"So, how did Haley hold up through it all?" Lucas asked.

"She was amazing," Nathan said with a faint smile. "I don't know how she keeps her cool like that."

"Well, not all of us have the infamous Scott temper," Lucas laughed and then Nathan sank his last ball. "How much do I owe you again?"

"I think we agreed on fifty bucks," Nathan said, taking Lucas' pool stick and hanging both of theirs back on the rack.

They grabbed their beer bottles of the edge of the table and made their way back over to where Haley and Brooke were sitting. Haley smiled up at Nathan at his approach and he immediately leaned down to give her a kiss. Lucas dug through his wallet and pulled out a fifty before handing it over to Nathan.

"Kick his ass?" Haley asked with a smile.

"Of course, baby," he said, leaning down to kiss her again.

Haley's eyes darted around the room and then she hopped down off the bar stool. She threaded her fingers through Nathan's and pulled him away from the bar. Her eyes roamed the club and they lit up when she saw the restroom sign. She dragged Nathan along behind her and carefully pushed open the restroom door. Thankfully it was empty and she dragged Nathan in behind her before quickly flipping the bolt on the door.

"Hales, what are you doing?" he asked, frowning.

"Shut up and kiss me," she said, dragging his mouth down towards hers.

"Haley James Scott," he said with a grin after breaking their kiss. "This is a bathroom in Lucas's mom's club and my brother and your best friend are out there."

"I'm aware this is a bathroom," she said, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. "This isn't anything Brooke hasn't done multiple times and there's no way I'm having sex with you in your parents' house, so it's here or nothing mister. Now, kiss me."

…

"I can't believe you'll have sex with me in a bathroom in a crowded club and not here in my parents' house," Nathan said as Haley snuggled against him.

"Do you want your dad walking in on us?" she said, looking up at him.

"Good point," he laughed, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

Haley snuggled closer to his side as he softly stroked her hair. They'd ended up taking a cab back from the club. They'd both had a little too much to drink and knew neither one should be driving. All the lights had been off when the cab pulled up in front of the house and both were thankful that Dan wasn't waiting up for them.

"I'm really proud of you for the way you didn't blow up at your dad today, Nathan," she said after a pause.

"I couldn't have done it if you weren't there with me," he replied.

"Still," she said, tracing idle patterns on his chest with her fingers. "You're the one who didn't lose your temper."

"It was hard," he said, squeezing her lightly. "Especially when he said all those things about you."

"Nathan, I'm a big girl," she said. "You don't have to try to defend me all the time. I can defend myself every now and then."

"Yeah, but you're my wife," he said, kissing the top of her head. "We've been over this, Hales. I'm not just going to stand back and watch while someone hurts you."

"I know," she sighed. "I just don't like seeing you upset."

"I know the feeling, babe," he said with a smile. "Are you sure you don't want to head back to L.A. tomorrow? We could have our own Thanksgiving. It could be the first one in our house."

"We're staying, Nathan," she said, tickling his side. "I haven't even seen Keith and Karen yet. And I'd like to get to know your mom a little better. She seems to like me."

"Of course she does," he replied. "But the less you know her, the more you'll like her."

"Nathan…"

"Fine," he sighed. "We'll stay. But my family's pretty much on par with a circus sideshow on holidays. You can't say that I didn't warn you."

"I'll officially consider myself warned," she replied, reaching over him to turn off the bedside lamp. "Now let's get some sleep. From the way you're talking, it sounds like I'm going to need it."

A/N: I know, I'm terrible for not posting this sooner. Honestly, I wrote most of it today. My semester's almost over and I'm super busy right now. I also need to say that I can't promise there'll be a chapter next Monday. I've got a huge paper due the next Wednesday and I'm really not sure if I'm going to have time this next week to get one written. I'm going to try, but I can't make any guarantees. I'll be much better about this once I'm on summer vacation. I promise.


	19. If You're Going Through Hell

Thanksgiving morning dawned bright and clear. Haley woke up a few minutes before the alarm clock was set to go off and carefully reached over to turn it off. It wasn't an easy feat since Nathan had his arms wrapped around her with all the flexibility of a pair of iron bars. He was usually a cuddler when they slept, but since returning to Tree Hill, he'd turned into a clinger. He clung to her in his sleep like he was a drowning man.

It wasn't just in his sleep either. Nathan had always been physically affectionate, constantly holding her hand, wrapping his arm around her shoulders or placing a hand at the small of her back. But in Tree Hill, he was constantly touching her. She'd come to notice that if he wasn't within a foot of her, his eyes widened with this sort of panic. He never missed a beat with what was going on around him, but she was instantly back at his side, holding his hand or rubbing his back in that soothing way he always liked.

It had been a tense two days since they'd arrived. They'd flown in on a Monday and the two and a half days since their plane landing and Thanksgiving had been the most tension filled days of Haley's life. She thought her family had been crazy when Taylor hooked up with Vivian's ex-boyfriend and all the James siblings had been forced to take sides. But Taylor had nothing on Dan Scott when it came to making a person's life a living hell.

He criticized Nathan every chance he got. Dan seemed to be an expert at ripping his son to pieces. Haley could almost understand why Nathan had felt the need to turn to drugs. Hell, she craved tequila like nothing else at the end of her days in the Scott household, anything to take the edge off. Thankfully Brooke was around and knew all the best spots in town and had them out and about Tree Hill for the last few nights. Haley had never been more thankful for Brooke Davis before in her life. She didn't know what they would have done if Brooke and Lucas hadn't come to Tree Hill as well. She couldn't imagine the torture she and Nathan would have gone through if they'd had to sit at home with Dan and Deb every night they were there.

She felt Nathan stir beneath her and softly pressed a kiss against his bare chest. She felt him move again and she started to trail kisses up from his chest to the side of his neck. His arms loosened their grip around her and she was better able to press herself up to get access to that spot at the base of his throat that always drove him crazy.

"Don't start anything you don't plan on finishing," he said in a low gravelly voice, still thick with sleep and laced with desire.

God, Haley loved his morning voice. He had a sexy voice all the time, but first thing in the morning, that low timber his voice got made her weak in the knees. Maybe it was a combination of the look in his eyes, still hazy from sleep and dark as the sea on a stormy day, and his voice, but it was always hard for them to make it out of bed on time. The sound of a door slamming down the hall and heavy footsteps had the same effect as a bucket of cold water being dumped on them. Having Dan Scott moving about the house was a total mood killer.

"Are you ready for today?" she asked after a pause.

"You can't ever be _ready_ for a Scott family reunion," he sighed as he stroked her hair. "But I'll get through it."

Nathan felt Haley snuggle closer to him and rested her head against his bare chest. He gently ran his fingers through her auburn curls as she traced patterns with her finger tips on his skin. In all honesty, he wasn't sure if he could make it through the day. The last time he'd sat through a Scott family holiday, he was eighteen and drunk. After he'd joined the NBA, he spent his holidays in Hawaii or St. Croix or some other far off exotic location that kept him far away from all the family drama. But family was important to Haley. He'd seen firsthand her version of it when they were in Texas. He just hoped his version of _family_ didn't cause her to run screaming.

Suddenly there was a soft knock on the door, causing Nathan and Haley to separate and sit up. Nathan pulled up the comforter over his lap and called that whoever it was could come in. Deb poked her head in slowly and smiled a little shyly at the two of them.

"Would you two like to come downstairs and watch the parade with me?" she asked hopefully and Nathan sighed when Haley's face lit up.

"I'm in," she said, scrambling out of bed.

"I'll be down in a few minutes," Nathan said and Haley leaned down to kiss his cheek before scampering out of the room with Deb, still in her flannel pajama pants and tank top.

Haley picked up on the fact that Deb was a little clueless when it came to her family, but Haley actually liked being around her for the most part. She was fun to watch the parade with anyway. Haley had wondered if the Scott family honored the time honored tradition of watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was something her family had done her entire life. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it.

"You know I was in the parade once," she said as Deb handed her a steaming cup of coffee.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Haley said. "Back in high school. I went to this artsy school in L.A. and my chorus group was invited to perform one of our Broadway numbers."

"I'm surprised that you haven't been invited since you started recording," Deb said, taking a sip from her own mug.

"I have been," Haley replied. "I've just never been able to go. Thanksgiving was a pretty big deal for my family. It might have been even bigger than Christmas. All my siblings came in for it from all over and there were always new babies to see or significant others to meet. I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"Why didn't you go this year?" Deb asked. "Not that I'm not thrilled to have you and Nathan here, of course."

"My parents died a few months ago," Haley said softly. "And my oldest brother, Matt's, wife is about to pop any day with their second child. My sister Taylor is off who knows where. We just couldn't all get together."

"I'm sorry about your parents," Deb said softly. "That must have been really hard for you."

"It wasn't easy," Haley sighed. "But Nathan's been there for me every step of the way."

"Really?" Deb said with raised eyebrows. "Nathan's always been so… I mean, I know he must have changed if you married him, but it's kind of hard to reconcile the angry boy who left with the man he came back as."

"He's come a long way," Haley said after a pause. "I'll admit that I didn't exactly like him when we first met, but he's got an amazing heart, Mrs. Scott. It's hard to get to it, but once you're there…"

"I'm so glad Nathan found you, Haley," Deb said, setting her coffee cup down and hugging the younger woman. "I know I seem clueless about what's going on with my family, but… I've just been so afraid that Nathan was going to turn out just like his father. I have a lot of regrets about things I should have done differently. But I can't say enough how happy I am that Nathan has you."

"Thank you," Haley said softly, looking down at her lap.

"Oh look, they're doing a number from that new musical that just opened," Deb said, pointing to the screen. "I've been trying to convince Dan that we should take a trip to New York to go see it."

"I actually helped write some of the songs for it," Haley said. "I can get you some really good seats if you make it up there."

"Hey," Nathan said, walking into the room. "Has the giant Snoopy floated by yet?"

"He's coming up in a few minutes," Deb said, rising to her feet. "I'm going to go get myself another cup of coffee. Do you want more, Haley?"

"No thank you," she said, smiling up at the older woman.

"You've really found yourself a keeper, Nathan," Deb said, laying a hand on her sons arm as she paused in the doorway. "Don't you dare let her get away."

Nathan nodded his head and then walked over to the couch and took a seat next to Haley. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she tucked her feet up beneath her, snuggling into his side. They sat there for a few minutes, watching the colorful floats pass by on the screen. Nathan toyed with a strand of Haley's hair and she reached over to take his free hand between both of hers.

"You're mom really loves you, you know," she said after a long silence. "I know she may not show it all the time. But she really does."

Nathan sighed heavily and closed his eyes. He and his mother had a complicated relationship at best. He was a lot better than his dad, but they still had their problems. While Dan had been an over-involved parent Nathan's whole life, Deb had been an absentee one. She'd constantly been gone on one business trip or another. Nathan wasn't even entirely sure what it was she did, let alone why it required her to travel so much. She hadn't made it to most of his basketball games or team banquets. She'd just barely made it to his graduation.

"You know who I really love?" he asked with a smile. "You. I didn't get my good morning kiss, by the way."

"Well, what was I thinking?" Haley laughed and then scooted over into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh look," Dan said as he walked into the room. "The parade's on. I'm not interrupting anything? Am I?"

"No, Mr. Scott," Haley said, sliding off Nathan's lap and then leaned in to talk softly into her husband's ear. "I'm going to go get a shower, okay?"

"Sure, babe," Nathan said, pressing his lips softly against hers. "Lucas and Brooke should be here in about an hour."

"I'll be ready," she promised and then kissed him again. "Love you."

"I love you too," he replied.

Nathan couldn't blame Haley for leaving almost as soon as Dan walked into the room. He'd been a jerk to her from the moment Haley had walked into the house. The constant remarks about their marriage and her career were obviously wearing on her. There were a couple of times when it was all Nathan could do not to punch his father in the nose after Haley got that wounded look on her face when Dan made a particularly vicious jab at her. Dan didn't even seem to realize the trouble he was causing. He sat there with his bourbon or coffee in his immaculate three piece suits with that smug look on his face all the time.

"So, any word from the Lakers?" Dan asked as soon as Haley was out of the room.

"Not today, Dad," Nathan said, standing up. "Not today."

…

"You know, I'm pretty sure I could get us a flight back to L.A.," Nathan said, fiddling with his tie in the mirror.

"We're staying," Haley chuckled as she stepped out of the bathroom.

Her eyes met Nathan's in the mirror's reflection and he couldn't help but smile at her. She was always sexy as hell in his opinion, but that green dress would look so much better on the bedroom floor. He had no idea how he was going to sit through dinner with her looking like that. The silky material clung to all of her curves and stopped quite a few inches above her knees without being so short that it looked trashy. A brown belt showed off her tiny waist and her hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders.

"You look amazing," he said, walking over to her and wrapping his arms loosely around her waist.

"Thank you," she said, reaching up to straighten his tie and then resting her hands on the broad planes of his chest. "You look pretty good yourself."

"Oh yeah?" he said, leaning down to kiss her as there was a knock on the door.

"Tutor Girl and Boy Toy, you two better not be naked because I'm coming in no matter what," Brooke called as she threw the door open. "God, how can you two stand to be staying here?"

"I take it you've officially met Dan Scott," Haley said as she went over to her jewelry box.

"The man's an ass," Brooke said, flopping down across Nathan's bed.

Brooke was pouting. She'd dressed to kill that day and Lucas had been more than willing to leave her alone with his dad and uncle. Which one was which was another story all together since Keith had adopted Lucas his senior year of high school. Brooke had worn Lucas's favorite strapless red satin dress with the sweetheart neckline that showed off just a hint of cleavage. The hem stopped about four inches above her knees and her tiny waist was shown off with a black patent leather belt that matched her shoes perfectly. Brooke Davis looked good and she knew it. Even if her boyfriend refused to acknowledge it.

"That's the general consensus," Nathan agreed, coming up behind Haley to cheek his hair.

"So, you just left Lucas down there with him?" Haley asked, slipping a pair of gold hoops in her ears.

"He's in the kitchen with Karen and your mom, Nate," Brooke said. "So, technically I left Keith down alone with Dan. They're brothers, so I figured Keith could handle it."

"I probably ought to get down there before the bloodshed begins," Nathan sighed.

He kissed Haley lightly on the cheek before making his way out of the room and down the stairs. Haley sighed as well and then turned her attention back to her reflection, making sure that her hair looked okay. She patted her curls in a few places and then turned to Brooke with the best smile she could manage.

"So, how's staying with Keith and Karen?"

"Other than the no sex?" Brooke pouted. "Lucas blatantly refuses to do it in his mother's house."

"Could you imagine having sex with Dan down the hall?" Haley asked, making a face.

"You're not giving it up either?" Brooke said with raised eyebrows. "Have you seen your husband?"

"We're just getting a little more creative with it," Haley said with a hint of a smirk as she walked towards the closet and grabbed her brown heels. "Remember the other night at Tric when we disappeared there for a while?"

"You little whore!" Brooke said, sitting up on the bed. "Who would have thought? Haley James Scott having sex in public?"

"What?" Haley said, fighting back her blush. "You've seen my husband."

"Get married and Tutor Girl becomes Tutor Slut," Brooke said as she shook her head in mock shame. "Who knew marriage was going to turn you into such an exhibitionist?"

"It was just one time," Haley said, fully blushing this time.

"For now," Brooke said with a grin. "But I'm pretty sure Nathan's going to need some sort of reward if we make it through today without any bloodshed."

"We probably shouldn't leave him alone down there with Dan and Keith for much longer," Haley said with a sigh. "How do I look?"

"Like Nathan's not going to be able to keep his hands off you," Brooke said.

"He really likes this dress," Haley said, appraising herself in the mirror again.

"Okay," Brooke said. "Let's descend back into hell."

Haley checked her appearance one last time before they made their way out of the room and down stairs to the living room. The three Scott men were sitting there in a stony silence, all three with their arms crossed over their chests and matching scowls wrinkling their foreheads. As far as Haley could tell, no blood had actually been shed, but the way Nathan was clenching and unclenching his jaw let Haley know that it would happen soon if someone didn't intervene.

"Hey," she said softly as she sat down next to Nathan and wrapped her arms around one of his.

"Hey, baby," he said, kissing her forehead.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Haley James," Keith said with a grin. "It's been a while. How are you?"

"It's Haley James Scott now, Keith," Haley said, leaning up to kiss Nathan's cheek.

"Oh, yeah," Keith said, smacking his forehead. "I'd heard that rumor that my knuckleheaded nephew actually managed to convince a sweet girl like you to marry him."

"Well, the rumors are true," she said, squeezing Nathan's hand.

Suddenly the doorbell rang and all conversation stopped. Nathan's grip on Haley's hand tightened as they heard the click of Deb's heels against the tile floor. The permanent grin even slid off Keith's face for a moment. It was almost like everyone in the room was holding their breath. Too bad they couldn't exhale even after they found out who had arrived.

"Dan!" Deb called. "Your parents are here!"

…

Haley had been curious to meet the people who had raised two sons as opposite as Dan and Keith Scott. As far as Haley had been able to tell, the two were as opposite as night and day. May and Royal Scott were equally as opposite as their sons. As the family sat around the table, Haley was able to observe them and their interactions. It was actually vaguely fun to watch Dan Scott squirm under the intense gaze of his father.

Royal Scott was about Keith's height, but his shorter stature didn't prevent him from intimidating his younger son. His bald head gleamed in the candle light, but his intense stare had Dan shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Royal wasn't dressed as formally as his son. He had on a sport coat instead of a suit and his white shirt was unbuttoned at the top while Dan wore a gold colored tie, yet he had far more presence at the dinner table.

May Scott looked like a mom. She was impeccably dressed in a dark green silk suit, but there was just something about her that made her seem like a mom. Maybe it was her pleasant demeanor or maybe her soft smile and warm eyes. Haley liked her instantly, and it wasn't just because May immediately started raving about how pretty she was the moment she met her. Royal had commented on how pretty she was as well, and Haley hadn't warmed to him nearly as much as she had to May. Maybe it was the man's incessant talk of Nathan's basketball career.

"So, how's the comeback coming, Nathan?" he asked almost as soon as everyone started filling their plates. "Do you think you'll be playing again soon?"

"I'm meeting with the coach and the team physician next week," Nathan said. "They'll check out my leg and see me play, then we'll go from there."

"You should have been playing again a month ago," Royal groused. "A good physical therapist…"

"Lucas was Nathan's physical therapist," Haley interjected. "He also rehabbed my leg after I was in a horseback riding accident and it's never been better."

"Well," Royal said, stuffing a large chunk of turkey in his mouth. "You still should have been playing a month ago."

"A month ago my jump shot was shit," Nathan replied.

"Nathan Royal," May scolded lightly. "Don't say that word at the dinner table. In fact, you shouldn't be saying it at all."

"Yes ma'am," Nathan mumbled.

"Now why don't we talk about something other than basketball for a change?" she suggested. "Lily, sweetheart, how's school?"

"It's great," the seven-year-old said with a grin. "We just had a play for Thanksgiving and I was the head pilgrim. I had ten whole lines. Bobby McGrady had eleven, but one of his lines was 'yum' when he ate a bite of turkey, so it doesn't count."

"That's wonderful, honey," May said, smiling at her granddaughter.

"Yeah, it's great," Royal said briskly. "Now, Nathan, don't say you were having problems with your jump shot. That's what killed Danny after his accident. If they look back at your family history…"

"Royal," May said. "I thought we agreed that you weren't going to discuss basketball the entire night. Can we please talk about something else?"

"I'm just saying that if it wasn't for Danny's jump shot, he could have been one of the greats," Royal said, loading stuffing onto his fork.

"Oh please," Deb scoffed. "If I have to hear this one more time…"

"Deb," Dan snapped. "I think you've had a little too much to drink."

"We all know you wouldn't have been 'one of the greats,' Dan," Deb continued. "That knee injury wasn't even that serious."

"What?" Royal said.

"Danny here could have played again," Deb said, slurring some of her words. "He chose not to."

"Daniel, what the hell is she talking about?" Royal said, setting his silverware down on his plate.

"Dan quit," Deb said with a laugh. "He wasn't good enough and he quit. He wasn't the hot shot at the college level that he'd been in high school and he couldn't take it."

That was the moment all hell broke loose. Royal slammed his fist down on the table and immediately started yelling at his younger son. May started yelling at him to calm down. Dan started yelling at Deb for spilling his secret. Karen grabbed Lily's hand and led her out of the room as the language started to get more unsavory. Keith chuckled too himself as he leaned back further in his chair and gripped the top of his beer bottle.

Nathan and Lucas exchanged looks across the table, and Nathan grabbed Haley's hand just as Lucas grabbed Brooke's. Haley tugged down the hem of her dress with her free hand as they made their way out of the room as well. Nathan led her towards the front door and stopped to help her pull on her white cashmere coat. The temperature was down in the 40s, far colder than Haley was used to.

"Come on," Nathan said, grabbing his car keys off the hall table. "There's someone I want you to meet. You coming Luke?"

"We're probably going to give the old man a heart attack, you know," Lucas said as he helped Brooke into her coat as well. "Going to see him together."

"You're probably right," Nathan chuckled. "I can't wait to see the look on his face."

"The look on whose face?" Brooke asked, buttoning up her coat.

"You'll see," Lucas said, grinning.

The four of them piled into Nathan's rented SUV with Nathan and Haley in the front and Lucas and Brook in the middle seats. Haley looked around curiously as Nathan drove down the quiet streets of Tree Hill. He drove about a mile outside of town and pulled up in front of a white clapboard house that had an old truck in the driveway. The four of them slowly climbed out of the SUV, and Haley and Brooke hung back a bit as Nathan and Lucas made their way towards the dark green front door with the slightly peeling paint.

"I think I died and went to hell," a gruff voice said as an older man opened the door.

"Why hell?" Nathan asked with a chuckle.

"Because my heaven is going to be Scott free," he replied. "And I know you two can't possibly be here together."

"Believe it, Whitey," Lucas said, moving to hug the older man. "Nathan and I finally learned how to get along."

"It's good to see you two boys," Whitey said, hugging Nathan as well. "But if you tell anyone I said that, I'll kill you."

"I'd like to see you try, old man," Nathan said, returning his embrace.

"Now who are these two lovely ladies?" Whitey asked.

"Whitey, this is my wife, Haley," Nathan said, extending his hand out towards her and gently pulling her forward to meet the older man.

"This pretty little thing honestly agreed to marry you?" Whitey said, shaking Haley's hand. "What'd you do, Scott? Threaten her?"

"No," Nathan said a touch defensively, tightening his grip around Haley's waist.

"Now don't get all huffy," Whitey said. "Why don't you four come on in and have a seat at the table? I've got more than enough food."

"Why'd you get a meal like this?" Lucas asked as they walked further into the house.

"Keith told me that ya'll were attempting a complete Scott family meal," Whitey said as he pulled out Brooke's chair for her at the slightly battered kitchen table. "I figured a few of you would end up here."

They all laughed as Nathan pulled out Haley's chair for her and all five of them took a seat. This was what family meals were supposed to feel like, in Haley's opinion. There was no fine linen table cloth or sparkling crystal like at Nathan's parents' house. Instead the silverware was a little tarnished and the plates hat a few chips here and there, but none of that really mattered. It was far nicer listening to stories of Nathan and Lucas in high school than it had been listening to Dan and Royal berate her husband and each other.

…

"I've never been so happy to see this house before in my life," Haley said, pushing the front door open with Nathan close on her heels.

"Tell me about it," Nathan said, dropping their suitcases in the front hall.

Haley was beyond glad to be back in California. She loved Tree Hill, but the Scott family drama that had gone on over the last few days had been intense. Dan Scott's glare when they'd walked back through the door Thursday night had been intense to say the least. It had Haley squirming in her shoes. The last few days of their visit had been some of the most tense in Haley's life.

"You know," he whispered huskily into her ear, stepping up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. It's been almost two days…"

"Nathan… that house…"

"But this isn't my parents' house," he said, nipping at her ear lobe. "This is our house. And it's been two whole days, baby…"

"God, I love you," Haley said, turning in his arms and pressing her lips firmly against his. It had been two whole days, definitely the longest they'd gone without since they'd got married. They quickly made their way up the stairs, their luggage left forgotten in the hall way. They had pleanty of time to take care of it tomorrow.

A/N: I'm sooooo sorry that it's been soooo long since I've updated this thing. I'm still not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but I wanted to go ahead and post something so that ya'll wouldn't think that I've forgotten about you or this fic. I got a job at a summer camp and haven't had a lot of time to write in the last few months. But I go back to school again soon and hopefully I'll be able to go back to posting once a week. Here's to hoping anyway!


	20. Come to Bed

Haley held the shiny plastic CD case in her hands gingerly, like it might disappear if she held it too tightly. It was the middle of January and her new album was finally being released. It had honestly felt like it was never going to happen. About three months after the original release date, the first copy was finally there in her hands.

Things since Thanksgiving had been a blur. Nathan had started practice again and Haley tried to be there whenever she could. She was still spending long hours in the studio though. It was harder writing and recording a duet than she'd imagined. The writing part had probably been the most difficult. It was hard to get them both to agree on things. She'd never had to please anyone other than herself before when it came to her lyrics and Chris Keller was far from easy to please.

Chris Keller, he'd been the cause of far more than one nightmare, tantrum, screaming fit, slammed door, and late night or early morning since they'd started working in the song, and not all of those were Haley's. Nathan certainly didn't like the amount of time she and Chris were spending together. Haley knew that he hated when she crept into the house long after midnight because Chris kept insisting what they were working in still wasn't quite right. He never quite said anything directly, but his sullen attitude in the morning was more than enough of an indicator.

Still, that smooth shiny plastic with her face staring up at her was more than enough for Haley to make it all worth it. It was like holding a piece of her heart in her hands. Haley slipped the case back into her purse as she walked into the gym and made her way over to the bleachers.

She immediately heard the scuffle of sneakers as she pushed open the door. Practice had just started and they were still doing their warm up drills. It looked like what Nathan had called suicides. His heard jerked up almost as soon as she walked in. Sometimes it was like he had a sixth sense about her presence. He shot her a quick grin and Haley half waved as she walked over to the section of the bleachers where most of the players' wives/girlfriends sat during practice.

"Hey, Hales," Bevin, one of the other player's girlfriend said as Haley took a seat next to her. "I didn't think you were coming today."

"I hadn't planned on it," she replied. "But there's something I wanted to show Nathan."

"Ooh, what is it?" Bevin asked, nudging Haley's arm with her own. "It's not a pregnancy test, is it? Because let me tell you, those do not go over well in the middle of practice."

"No, it's my new album," Haley said, slipping the CD case back out of her purse. "I just got the first copy. Do you like it?"

"Introducing Haley James Scott," Bevin read slowly. "Nice album title. Does Nathan know?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Haley replied. "Do you think he'll like it?"

"I think he'll love it," the blond replied. "Especially that picture of you two on the over. Is that from your wedding?"

"Yeah," Haley said. "Brooke took it."

The picture was black and white and didn't actually show Nathan's face. It was of the two of them, but zoomed in on Haley's face. You could only really see his tuxedo clad arm and a bit of his white collared shirt as Haley leaned her cheek against his chest, smiling at the camera. She'd been showing pictures of her wedding to her band when the graphic designer in charge of her album cover walked past. He'd seen the picture and immediately fallen in love with it. Haley hadn't asked Nathan if it was okay to use it, but she was fairly certain he wouldn't mind. You couldn't see his face or anything, and it was perfect with the album title.

"Do you think he'll like it?" she asked, biting her lip.

"He doesn't know?" Bevin gasped.

"Do you think that's a bad thing?"

"Well, Nathan usually gets a lot of money for stuff like that," Bevin shrugged. "But I don't think he'll sue you or anything. You are married after all."

Haley chewed softly on her lower lip. Nathan wouldn't have a problem with it. At least, that's what she kept mentally telling herself. He'd give her that crooked grin of his and she'd feel her knees go a little weak when he saw it. He'd probably tell her that he loved it and then kiss her and try to get her into their bedroom in record time. Although, he never really needed a reason to get her up to their bedroom. Haley blushed a little at the thought and turned her attention back towards the court just as the coach blew his whistle.

Nathan jogged over to the bench where his water bottle and towel were sitting and then made his way over to where Haley and Bevin were talking.

"Hey, baby," he said as he plopped down into the seat next to her and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "What are you doing here?"

"I need a reason to come see you?" she said with a teasing smile.

"Of course not," he said. "I just thought you were going to be in the studio today."

"I just left," Haley said, reaching into her handbag. "There's something I want to show you."

She slowly pulled out the CD case, almost regretting it and wondering if it was the right time, and then handed it to Nathan. He stared at the back for a minute with a slight frown and then flipped it over. For a moment, his face went completely blank as he stared down at the cover.

"This is me, right?" he asked after a pause.

"Yes," she replied, looking down at her feet.

"Good, because I'd hate to see my wife snuggled up like that to some other man," he laughed. "It's great, Hales. I'm really proud of you."

"I'm so glad to hear you say that," Haley said, reaching over behind his neck and pulling his face towards hers.

"Hey Scott!" a voice called. "Stop sucking face with your wife and get your ass back over her."

"I've gotta go, babe," Nathan said after breaking their kiss. "But we should go out tonight to celebrate. Call Brooke and Lucas."

"Okay, I'll see you later," Haley replied. "I love you."

"Love you too," he said before jogging back over to his teammates.

Haley stayed for a few more minutes, watching as the team did some shooting drills. She loved watching Nathan on the basketball court. She wasn't a big fan of the sport, but she was a huge fan of her husband and watching him play was like watching poetry in motion. She could almost physically feel his love for the game. He'd been so happy when his coach had said he could go back to practice. He hadn't been allowed to play in a game yet, but he was back on the court. It was only a matter of time.

…

"Awe! Tutor Girl," Brooke said as she wrapped a lock of Haley's hair around the barrel of the curling iron. "This is just like old times!"

"Brooke, you helped me get ready for that charity event last week," Haley laughed.

"I know, but it's still not the same anymore since you don't live in the apartment with me," Brooke sighed. "I know I always complained about how small it is, but it's too big without you."

"I miss you too, Brookie," Haley said, smiling at her friend in the mirror of her vanity.

Brooke and Lucas had been more than willing to come along for their celebratory dinner. The Scott brothers seemed to be getting closer every day. They were currently close enough that Lucas was down stairs playing Nathan's XBOX without fearing for his life if Nathan came home and found that Lucas had just beaten his high score in NBA Live. Haley and Brooke had locked themselves away up in the bedroom as Brooke once again treated Haley like her very own Barbie doll and dressed her up for dinner that night.

The bedroom had been the first thing they'd redecorated. They'd kept the bed Nathan had bought, but replaced most of the other furniture. The walls were now a pale blue and it made the white linens of their bed seem like they were sleeping on a cloud. They'd traded Nathan's boxy black dresser in favor of a dark mahogany with a large oval mirror on top that perfectly matched Haley's antique vanity, which sat over in the corner. She generally used the large pale grey marble counter in the bathroom when getting ready, but Brooke loved sitting at the vanity for some reason. Whenever she came to help Haley get ready, they almost always used it.

"So, Hot Shot liked the album cover?" Brooke asked.

"I think so," Haley replied, chewing lightly on her lower lip. "I was kind of nervous about it since I didn't tell him."

"I'm sure he loved it, Tutor Girl," Brooke said. "He loves you and you can pretty much do no wrong in his eyes."

"That's not exactly…" Haley was cut off by the vibrating of Brooke's Blackberry where it was resting on the vanity. Brooke reached over and groaned when she saw the studio was calling.

"This is Brooke," she said, pressing the phone between her shoulder and her ear.

"Ms. Davis, I've got some bad news," Mr. Mills said. "Kate Voegel just backed out of the tour."

"But they leave in a month!" Brooke nearly screeched.

"Calm down," he said impatiently. "I've already found someone to replace her."

"Who's that?"

"Chris Keller."

"No," Brooke said.

"That wasn't a question," Mr. Mills replied. "We needed a new artist and I found one who's willing to come for less money. Tell Miss James that rehearsals start on Monday."

"What's wrong?" Haley asked as Brooke nearly slammed her phone against the vanity.

"You're not going to like this," Brooke said, going back to curling Haley's hair.

"What is it?"

"Kate Voegel won't be coming on tour with you," Brooke said slowly.

"What?" Haley said, turning her head to look at her best friend and yanking her hair in the curling iron. "Ouch!"

"Hold still, Tutor Girl," Brooke said. "They've already found someone to replace her.

"Who?"

"You're not going to like this…"

"Brooke, just tell me."

"Chris Keller."

Haley felt as though she were in a movie and someone had just pressed pause. Brooke continued to silently curl her hair as Hailey blankly stared at her reflection. Nathan was _not_ going to like this. Nathan was beyond not going to like this. He was going to hate it. They'd fought a lot about Chris Keller in the last few months, but this was going to take the cake. Haley didn't even want to think about what Nathan's reaction was going to be. Suddenly, going out to dinner seemed less like a celebration and more like a prison sentence.

"Haley!" she heard Nathan yell as the front door nearly slammed shut. "Haley!"

Brooke carefully unwrapped the lock of Haley's hair from around the curling iron so that Haley could jump up and look down at Nathan from the landing at the top of the stairs.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I get to play!" he said. "I get to play in our game against the Sonics next month!"

"Oh my gosh!" Haley screamed as Nathan ran up the stairs and picked her up so that he could twirl her around. "I knew you could do it!"

"We did it, baby," he said, kissing her softly. "We did it."

…

Haley felt her leg jittering nervously as the limo pulled up in front of the restaurant. Nathan had said that he wanted to celebrate in style that night and that meant a restaurant with the paparazzi camped outside. She sat next to time in her asymmetrical simple black dress that had one strap on her left shoulder with her leg bouncing nervously up and down. Nathan softly put his hand on top of her knee and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" he whispered softly into her ear.

"Hey, save the pillow talk for when your brother's not in the car," Lucas said.

"Shut up, Pucas," Nathan replied.

"Could you two behave for like five minutes?" Brooke said.

After their initial celebration over Nathan's getting to play again, he and Lucas had gotten into another one of their epic NBA Live battles while Haley and Brooke continued to get ready. They'd come down stairs after hearing shouts and found Lucas beating Nathan with a pillow as Nathan made his own character sink the winning basket. It was really nice seeing the two acting like real brothers. They might be slightly more competitive than average, but they never came to blows and Haley or Brooke rarely ever had to intervene.

"You okay, babe?" Nathan asked as the limo glided to a stop.

"Fine," Haley said with a slightly strained smile.

Nathan squeezed her knee before moving to slide out of the limo. Haley could see the flashes from the paparazzi's cameras and took a deep breath. She grabbed the hand Nathan offered her and slid out behind him. The flashes were nearly blinding and she pressed closer to Nathan's side as they shouted questions at the two of them. She tried desperately to get them to the safety of the restaurant, but suddenly Nathan stopped dead in his tracks. Haley turned to look at him and watched as the muscles of his jaw clenched tighter and tighter.

"Your wife didn't tell you?" she heard a voice ask.

"I didn't tell you what?" she said, her eyes searching Nathan's face.

"Let's get inside," Nathan said between clenched teeth.

"Nathan, what did he say?" Haley asked as they retreated into the safety of the restaurant.

"When were you going to tell me?" he asked, dropping her hand and turning to face her.

"When was I going to tell you what?"

"Chris freaking Keller! Haley?" he nearly shouted. "First you start spending all of your time with him and now you're going on freaking tour with him?"

"Nathan, please stop yelling," she said softly. "I was going to tell you. I was just waiting for the right moment."

"So I heard it from the paparazzi first?"

"I didn't even know that it had been released yet," she said. "Brooke just got the call this afternoon."

"Whatever. Let's just go have dinner."

"Maybe we should just go…"

"No," he said firmly, grabbing her hand tightly and pulling her along behind the maitre d.'

Haley could feel the eyes of almost every patron in the restaurant on them as they sat down. She hadn't been more embarrassed since she'd fallen off the stairs to the stage in her fourth grade talent show. Nathan's mouth was set in a firm, grim line. Brooke and Lucas kept glancing at one another nervously. The tension radiating off of Nathan was nearly palpable. Under most circumstances, Haley would have gently touched his shoulder or arm and he would have relaxed a bit. She had a feeling though that the last thing he wanted was for her to touch him.

…

The atmosphere at dinner had never loosened up. Brooke and Lucas had decided to take a taxi back to Brooke's apartment rather than share the limo again on the ride home. Nathan wouldn't even look at her. He unlocked the door wordlessly and pushed it open, not even bothering to hold it open for her. He emptied his pockets of his wallet and keys on the wall table and then made his into the kitchen

Haley followed silently on his heels after kicking her shoes off. Brooke would have killed her if she saw the silver Manolos left haphazardly on the ground, but Haley didn't particularly care at the moment. She hung up her coat in the hall closet and then followed him silently. Nathan immediately went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer. He rummaged around in a drawer and finally produced the bottle opener. Haley watched as he removed the bottle cap and then took a long swig from the bottle.

"Would you please just talk to me?" she said.

"What do you want me to say, Haley?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "How you're feeling. What you're thinking. Whether or not you hate me right now."

"I don't hate you, Haley," Nathan said, turning to look at her. "I just really don't have anything to say to you."

"But you had so much to say in front of a crowded restaurant."

"You don't get to be pissed at me right now."

"Why not?" she said, hands on her hips. "You publicly humiliated me, but I don't get to be pissed. You're punishing me for something that's not my fault!"

"You should have told me."

"When, Nathan?" Haley said, finally stepping up to the kitchen island and placing her hands down on the smooth marble surface. "When was I supposed to tell you? When you came home all excited about getting to play again? Or in the limo on our way to our celebration dinner? I just didn't want to upset you."

"Well, it's a little late for that," he said.

"You would have been mad no matter when I told you," she said.

"That doesn't excuse it."

"Fine," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't call you while you were in the middle of practice or driving home or whatever the hell it was that you were doing right after I found out."

"I don't even want to go on tour with him!" she cried in frustration.

"Then don't."

"What?"

"Don't go, Haley," Nathan said. "Screw the tour. I don't know why you put up with all that shit from your label anyway."

"I can't just not go, Nathan," she said. "It's not that simple."

"You're the one making it complicated."

"Do you have any idea what you're asking me?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'd lose my label, Nathan. And they'd probably sue me for breach of contract. They'd win Nathan and they could take everything."

"You don't know that," he replied.

"And you know it wouldn't?" she said.

"Fine, do whatever the hell you want," he said, tossing his shirt down roughly into the hamper. "I don't give a shit."

"Fine," Haley said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I will."

"You're seriously going to go on tour with him?"

"Nathan…" she sighed, hanging her head in defeat. "Can we please not fight about this? Today was supposed to be a good day."

"God, Haley," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "It's just the idea of him being with you all the time. Him being there when I'm not."

"Nathan, I love you," she said coming around the kitchen island to stand in front of you. "Nothing is going to change that."

"I love you too," Nathan said, slowly pulling her into his embrace.

Haley stood there in his arms, resting her head against his chest for a long time. Nathan's chin rested on top of her head as she traced small circles with her finger tips on the small of his back. Then tension wasn't leaving his body though. She could feel it in the way he was holding her. They stood there in silence for a while before Haley finally pulled away.

"Come to bed?" she said softly, holding out her hand for him to take.

He laced his fingers through hers and followed silently as she led him up the stairs. Haley didn't even bother flipping on the light switch as they made their way into the bedroom. About two feet from the door she turned to face Nathan and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled his face down to meet hers and kissed him hungrily. Nathan's hands came up to cup her face as she slowly backed them towards the bed.

It was love and lust with more than a hint of desperation. Haley felt like her skin was on fire wherever Nathan touched. They stopped when the backs of her knees hit the bed and her fingers quickly undid the buttons on his shirt while his found the zipper on the back of her dress. She pushed the collared white button down off his shoulders and then tugged his wife beater out of his pants so that her fingers could snake underneath. He groaned against her mouth as her fingers started to lightly dance over his muscles and peeled away her dress, leaving her standing there in her black lace strapless bra and matching underwear.

"God, you are so beautiful," he murmured as he started to place hot open mouthed kisses along her neck.

She moaned as he paused to suck on her pulse point and reached down to quickly undo his belt. He kicked off his pants and then slowly lowered her down onto the bed. She drew his face back up to hers as he pinned her down to the mattress with his weight and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. His tongue battled with hers for dominance as her fingers traced over his well defined abs.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips between feverish kisses. "Please don't leave me."

"I love you too," she said, not giving his last words a reply.

…

Haley woke up long before her husband the next morning. She kissed his forehead softly before rolling out of bed and making her way towards the bathroom. He was still fast asleep after she'd showered and dressed, so she made her way down stairs to make a pot of coffee. She needed to head to Bright Star at some point during the day to talk about the tour, but she just wasn't up to going just yet.

She'd left her laptop on the kitchen table a few days before and Haley decided check her email. It all went to her Blackberry, but if it wasn't mandatory she didn't like reading it on the tiny screen. She clicked on her home page icon and pressed her lips together in a thin line. Apparently her fight with Nathan the night before was incredibly newsworthy. There they were on her home page in full color with Nathan looking angry and her looking upset. She knew that reading the story would only upset her, but she clicked on the link anyway. Apparently the rumors had gone from 'Haley James-Scott is going on tour with Chris Keller' to 'Haley James-Scott and Chris Keller are having an affair.' She sighed angrily and nearly slammed the laptop shut. They were probably the cover of every tabloid.

"What did the computer ever do to you?" Nathan asked as he walked into the kitchen and went to fix himself a cup of coffee.

"Nothing," Haley replied, brushing her hair back away from her face. "We're just probably the cover of every tabloid known to man."

"None of it's true," he said, taking a seat next to her at the table.

"Yeah," she said. "I would just hate to be Brooke or Jake right now."

"Well, they are our agents," Nathan shrugged. "It's their job."

"I know," she replied. "I've gotta get to the studio. We've got a lot to do to prepare for the tour."

"Haley…"

"Please don't, Nathan," she said, standing up. "I don't want to fight with you."

"I don't want to fight either," he said. "We just have a lot to talk about."

"We will," she replied. "Later. You have practice anyway."

"Haley…"

"I love you," she said, leaning down and kissing his cheek softly. "I'll see you tonight."

"Love you too," he replied, frowning.

Nathan watched his wife grab her purse off the counter and make her way to the garage. They may have stopped fighting the night before, but they definitely hadn't resolved anything. Haley might have only been interested in working with Chris Keller, but that was definitely not Chris Keller's only interest in Haley. He needed to make her see that before it was too late. Before she was gone.

A/N: Here's another chapter I'm not entirely happy with, but I decided that it was really time for me to post something again and I realized I probably wouldn't be satisfied no matter how many times I rewrote it. I have a really hard time with making characters I like unhappy. But, for the sake of plot it just has to happen… Sigh… So, I was a little disappointed with the lack of reviews for the last chapter, but I'm hoping it was just because I'd been gone for so long. I promise that I'm going to start updating regularly again now. Really. I am. So review please! It helps me write faster.


	21. Gone

Haley wasn't a big runner. She never had been. She'd only started because Lucas made her for her rehab. As soon as she'd finished rehab she was done with it. So she couldn't quite explain why she felt the urge to slip on her battered running shoes and go for a run down on the beach. She'd once again slipped out of bed before Nathan was awake and was out of the house just as the sun was starting to rise. She stretched by the French doors that led out to the patio and then quickly slipped outside.

She'd brought her iPod with her and quickly turned to one of the rap songs Nathan had loaded on there one day when she'd left it docked to the computer. He'd said that it was an accident, but his smirk told her the truth. She'd been annoyed at first, but they had to good beat to run too. Her feet hit the sand in time with the music as she jogged up the beach. The other thing she liked about rap music was that she could tune out everything around her when she listened to it. It actually kind of provided some moments of clarity if you turned it up loud enough.

Clarity was the one thing Haley needed more than anything. She just wasn't sure what to do anymore. Life was so simple before Nathan. It wasn't that she regretted their marriage. She loved him more than life itself. It was just so hard trying to make him happy and keep her career. She'd worked so hard to get where she was in the music industry and it killed her when Nathan suggested she do things like blow off her tour. She knew known divas like Brittany Spears had done it, but she wasn't like that. She couldn't just not go and Nathan just wasn't getting it.

They'd fought about it almost every day for the last three weeks. He would make some comment and she would blow up at him. She would talk about leaving and he would automatically shut down. It wasn't like he hadn't known her tour was coming. She'd talked about it practically from the day they'd met. She guessed it had always seemed like some far off thing that would never really happen. Now she was leaving in a few days and they were barely speaking. It was like no matter what she did there was just no way for her to win. If she didn't go, she would break thousands of fans' hearts. If she did, she would break her own.

When she got back to the house an hour later Nathan was sitting in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal and the newspaper. He'd obviously showered. She could still see the little droplets of moisture in his dark hair. He was almost devastatingly handsome in the dark blue fleece pullover he was wearing. She went over and kissed his cheek lightly before making her way to the coffee pot.

"You were up early," he said, not looking up from the paper.

"I went for a run," she replied.

"You're up early a lot lately," he said.

"I guess," she said, taking a seat across from him. "What are you reading?"

"Celtics' stats from their last game," Nathan said. "Getting in shape for your big tour?"

"Can we please not talk about that?" she sighed.

"I thought you were excited about it," he said, finally looking up at her.

"Not when you look at me like that," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Look at you like what?"

"Like you're disappointed in me or something," she said, pushing her chair back away from the table. "I've got to go get a shower. I have to meet Brooke to go over my wardrobe for the tour."

Nathan opened his mouth like he was going to say something and then almost immediately shut it again. She could tell that he was clenching his teeth together by the way his jaw was stubbornly jutted out ever so slightly to the right. She could read him like a book. But like a book, she couldn't change anything. It was like he was determined to be mad at her. It was killing her.

"Would you like to join me?" she said, pausing at the stairs.

"I just showered."

"That never stopped you before," she said, chewing on her lower lip.

"Before my wife wasn't leaving me," he replied.

"I'm not leaving you, Nathan," she said. "I'm going on tour. I'll be back in a few months."

"Whatever, Haley," he said, turning his attention back to the paper. "You better hurry up. Brooke's a bitch when you're late."

Haley fought back tears as she made her way up the stairs and into their bedroom. She quickly went into the bathroom and shed her sweaty running clothes. She turned the shower on full blast and didn't let her tears fall until she was sure that the shower would cover the noise of her quiet sobs. She sank down to the dark marble floor and drew her knees up to her chest, letting the water fall around her as she cried. This had become quite the habit over the last few weeks. It was a habit that was slowly crushing her soul.

Nathan cursed mentally when he realized that he'd left his wallet up on the dresser in their bedroom. He quickly made his way up the stairs and into the bedroom. The bathroom door was cracked open and he peeked inside. The sight of Haley curled up in a ball on the floor of their shower sobbing broke his heart. Mindless of the fact that he was still fully dressed, he immediately went into the shower and gathered her up in his arms.

"I'm sorry, Nathan," she sobbed into his neck. "I'm so sorry. I don't want to hurt you."

"I know, baby," he said, brushing her wet hair back away from her face.

"I love you," she said, clinging to him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," he assured her, kissing her forehead.

She pulled his face down towards hers and kissed him desperately, pouring all of the love and longing she could into it. He easily matched her passion and lifted her up off the shower floor. His mouth never left hers as he carried her over to their bed, mindless of the fact that they were both soaking wet. It didn't matter. None of it mattered. The only thing that did was the woman in his arms whose slender hands left trails of fire on his skin. The only thing that mattered was showing her just how desperately he wanted and needed her.

…

Several hours later Haley grabbed the soft throw blanket of the end of the bed and wrapped it around herself. Nathan was fast asleep with the duvet drawn up just over his waist. She kissed his forehead softly before padding out of their bedroom and down the stairs. She'd left her phone in her purse the night before and knew that she more than likely had several angry voicemails from Brooke asking where she was.

There were seven missed calls and four voicemails. She listened as Brooke went from curious to annoyed to pissed at Haley for blowing her off. Haley sighed heavily before going into the living room and sinking down on the sofa. She made sure the blanket was still firmly tucked around her and then dialed Brooke's number. The brunette answered on the first ring and was obviously furious.

"Where the hell are you, Haley?" Brooke demanded. "You were supposed to be here two hours ago."

"I know," Haley said, settling back into the cushions. "I just got caught up. Nathan…"

"Please tell me you did not blow this off for more kinky pretty much still newlywed sex," Brooke said.

"It wasn't like that," Haley sighed. "Things are really bad, Brooke."

"What?" Brooke said, her voice no longer angry.

"He's so mad at me," Haley said. "We're fighting all the time. God, Brooke, I just don't know what to do."

"He'll come around, Hales," Brooke said. "He loves you. Where are you now?"

"I'm at home," Haley said.

"Is Nathan there?"

"Yes, he's up in the bedroom," Haley said.

"So you two were having sex," Brooke said with a hint of triumph.

"Yes, but it's not like you think," Haley replied. "We got in this fight sort of and I was upstairs crying in the shower when he found me. God, he was just so sweet he kept whispering for me not to leave him. What am I going to do, Tigger?"

"You know I'm all for true love, Tutor Girl," Brooke said. "But we'll both be in deep shit if you don't go on this tour."

"I know," Haley said, pressing her free hand to her forehead. "I know. I don't think I'm going to make it today. Can we just reschedule for tomorrow?"

"I already did," Brooke said. "It's gonna be okay, Haley."

"I hope so," Haley replied. "I should probably get back upstairs before Nathan wakes up."

"Call me later," Brooke said.

Haley promised she would and then hung up the phone, setting it down on the glass top of the coffee table. She buried her face in her hands sighed heavily. She'd never been faced with a more difficult decision before in her life. She sat there trying to figure out just what she should do for a few more minutes before she quickly made her way back up the stairs. She carefully climbed back up on the bed and Nathan's eyes fluttered open.

"Hey," he said sleepily. "Where'd you go?"

"I had to call Brooke," she said, leaning down to kiss him softly. "I needed to tell her I wasn't coming in today."

Haley watched as Nathan's face clouded over and she quickly leaned down to kiss him softly on the mouth. She pulled away after just a second and softly stroked his cheek with her hand.

"Hey," she said. "Don't be like that."

"I just…" he said, looking away from her.

She kissed him softly again and let him wrap his arms around her waist. He pulled down flush against him and deepened their kiss. Haley's hands immediately found their way into his hair as his tugged the pale blue chenille blanket down her back. Haley let her fingers trail over his chest as he tugged the blanket away from her so that it was just her skin against his.

"Stay," he whispered as he nipped his way down her neck towards her collar bone. "Stay with me."

"It's only a couple of months," she replied.

"A couple of months with _him_…"

Haley felt like a bucket of cold water had just been dumped on top of her. She pushed away from him and sat up, securing the blanket back around her. Nathan sighed angrily and threw himself back against their pillows as she sat there, drawing her knees up to her chest. She brushed her hair back away from her face with one hand and picked at the blanket's fringe with the other.

"You act like I'm doing this to hurt you," Haley said after a pause.

"You know how I feel about that guy, Haley," Nathan said, propping himself up on his elbows.

"And you know how I feel about my career," she said. "I was going on tour before Chris Keller got involved. I don't understand why he changes everything."

"And I don't understand why we have this conversation over and over again," he said, getting up out of the bed.

He grabbed a pair of boxers out of the dresser and slipped them on before slipping on a pair of his basketball shorts. Haley watched as he walked out of the bedroom and sighed. She'd spent more time hiding her face in her hands over the last few weeks than she had in her entire life. Part of her wanted to just screw the tour. Part of her wanted to stay where she was loved and safe in the arms of her husband.

But she remembered the feeling she got when she stepped out on stage. She remembered what it was like to hear her audience sing her songs back to her. There were no words to describe it. She couldn't possibly translate how performing made her feel into words. It was so much more than just the butterflies she got just before she got on stage. It was more than the feeling of the lights hot on her face. It was more than watching her audience sway back and forth to a song they found particularly moving. It was all of those things rolled into one with a little bit of magic that made her feel alive. Asking her to never feel like that again was like asking her not to breathe. She had to breathe. The problem was that she wasn't sure if she couldn't breathe without Nathan either.

…

"Hey, Nate," Andy called as Nathan walked into Bright Star. "What are you doing here? Haley's not in today."

"I know," Nathan said. "I'm looking for Keller. He's here today, right?"

"Are you sure that's the best idea, man?" Andy asked.

"Just tell me where he is, Andrew," Nathan replied.

Andy looked over at the taller man skeptically. Given Nathan's history with Chris Keller, this was probably the worst idea ever. Haley would probably kill him if she found out. The last thing the poor girl needed was for another opening act to fall. Especially if it was because he needed to get his jaw wired shut thanks to her husband's right hook. The way Nathan was clenching and unclenching his jaw did not bode very well for Chris Keller's face.

"Are you going to tell me or do I have to find him myself?" Nathan said.

"He's back in studio seven," Andy said finally. "I'll take you back there. Don't do anything stupid."

Nathan scowled at Andy's back as he led him down the hall to the studio. He wasn't going to hit Keller. Well, he didn't have the intention to hit Keller right there in that particular moment. He wasn't making any promises though. They guy deserved a broken nose or a busted lip with that big mouth of his. His hand curled up into a fist at the thought of it and he had to force himself to relax it. He wasn't there to get in a fight. That was the mantra he just kept replaying in his head over and over again.

"Well, if it isn't the old ball and chain," Chris said as Andy led Nathan into the studio.

Chris was sitting by the sound board with his guitar in his lap. His hair was sticking up in that odd spiky style that he seemed to love for some reason and Nathan was fairly certain those were sequins on his brown western style shirt.

"Keller…" Andy warned.

"So," Chris said, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on the counter next to the sound equipment. "What can I do for you, Nate?"

"You can stay away from my wife," Nathan replied, folding his arms across his chest.

"Hey, man," Chris said. "Chris can't help it if the ladies love the Keller."

"Nathan…" Andy said, grabbing his arm as Nathan took a step forward.

"Look you little punk," Nathan said. "I'm only gonna say this one more time. Stay the hell away from my wife or I'll rearrange your face."

Chris visibly gulped and pushed a little further back in his chair. One look at Nathan's icy blue eyes let him know that the much larger man was entirely serious with his threats. Chris ran a hand through his heavily gelled hair and then relaxed a little bit.

"You know," he said after a pause. "I don't think my staying away from your wife is what's really necessary here."

"And what do you think is really necessary?" Nathan asked.

"That you learn to trust her," Chris said, setting his guitar down on the floor just in case Nathan decided to hit him at that moment.

"Haley, I trust," Nathan said. "It's you I don't."

"Well, of course you don't trust me," Chris said. "All the ladies love Chris Keller. But Haley loves you."

"Love isn't enough to get her to stay with me," Nathan replied.

"Well, she loves the music too," Chris shrugged. "Being a musician, it's like being a crack addict. Once it gets in your blood that first time, you're hooked. Don't try to make her choose between you and the music, man. She'll choose the music every time."

Haley was choosing her music over him. It was that simple. She didn't love him enough to stay. Everyone had been right. His dad… Taylor… They'd both said that she would leave him for her career. She might love him, but she certainly didn't love him enough. She didn't love him enough to stay for him.

"Stay away from my wife," Nathan said, turning to walk out of the studio.

"I'll try, man," Keller called after him. "But what can I say? Ladies love the Keller."

Nathan turned on his heel and nearly marched back into the room. Keller stood up with his hands in front of him, but didn't even see Nathan's fist flying at his face. Nathan made sure he tucked him thumb as his fist collided with Keller's right eye. He watched as Keller fell, holding his face. The smaller man let out a string of curses as he sat on the ground, rocking back and forth in pain. Andy burst into the room and looked back and forth between the two men.

"I told you not to do anything stupid," he said as he surveyed the scene in front of him.

"He had it coming," Nathan shrugged and then walked out of the studio.

…

Haley silently opened the French doors that led to the patio and quickly made her way over to the basketball court. She shifted the strap of her carryon bag on her shoulder and stood there watching as Nathan slammed the ball down in the basket. He'd been out there for hours. She set the fresh bottle of Gatorade down next to his empty one. He didn't even turn to look at her as he chased after the ball.

"I'm leaving," she said after a long silence.

"I heard the limo pull up," he said, bouncing the ball against the concrete.

"I love you, Nathan," Haley said, brushing her bangs away from her face. "Don't forget that, okay?"

"Whatever, Haley," he replied, effortlessly sinking a three point shot.

"I'll be there for your game though," she said, fidgeting with her bag though. "I've got a few days between gigs then. So I'll be there."

"Don't you have a plan to catch?"

Haley felt tears well up in her eyes and she looked down at the pavement, wrapping her arms around herself. Angry Nathan was so much better than cold and indifferent Nathan. She wished that he could just understand. She wished that he could see how much this was tearing her up inside. She wished that he would know how much she loved him and how much leaving was killing her. He just acted so oblivious to it. He acted like he didn't care and that was breaking her heart. She watched him play for just a moment longer before making her way through the house and into the waiting limo. Somehow she managed to keep her tears at bay. The last thing she needed was to arrive at the airport with puffy eyes and a red nose.

Nathan sighed heavily when he heard the limo drive away. The basketball fell down out of his hands and he made his way over to the bench where Haley had left the Gatorade. His hand curled around the bottle and he felt something catch in the back of his throat. She was really gone. She'd really left. He'd thought she would stay in the end. It hadn't even entered his mind that she would leave for real. He had to stop her. He had to tell her that he loved her one last time and beg her not to go.

He ran back into the house and grabbed his car keys off the hall table. He was about to run to his black Denali when he realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. He was awfully sweaty too. He looked down at his watch. Haley's flight left in two hours. That should be time for a quick shower. He ran up the stairs and grabbed a clean pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a hoodie out of his closet before going into the bathroom to take what was probably one of the quickest showers of his life.

Fifteen minutes later he was on his way to the airport. He'd just gotten on the interstate when traffic around him came to a standstill. He could just see the figures of people getting out of their cars in front of him. It looked like there'd been some sort of multi car accident about a quarter of a mile ahead of him. Nathan cursed and hit the steering wheel. He didn't have time for this. He needed to make it to the airport. He didn't see a limo in the mix of cars in front of him. That meant every second Haley was getting closer to the airport and her flight to New York for her first concert.

Finally, after sitting in traffic for about an hour, he was moving again. He made it past the accident and slammed down on the gas pedal almost as soon as traffic in front of him was clear. He was going far over the speed limit, but Haley had almost an hour on him at that point. He had to catch up. He had to make it. He weaved through the slower traffic in a way that he knew would have had Haley clutching her seatbelt. The thought made the corner of his mouth quirk up with a hint of a smile. Finally, he saw the airport exit sign and quickly got over so that he could get off the interstate.

He was out of the car almost as soon as it had come to a stop and threw the valet his car keys. He sprinted into the airport and over to the check in counter. He looked down at his watch and cursed. Haley's flight should be leaving at any moment.

"My wife," he said. "My wife is leaving. I have to see her."

"I'm sorry sir," the girl behind the counter said. "I can't let you through without a ticket."

"Fine," Nathan replied, digging his wallet out of his back pocket. "Give me a ticket to anywhere. But make it fast."

"The only tickets I have available are to Australia," she said.

"Fine, that's fine," Nathan said. "Go ahead and charge it."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "It'll be $5,000. It's first class and with such short notice…"

"It's fine," Nathan said. "Charge the damn card already."

"Alright, Mr. Scott," the girl's head snapped up and she finally took a good look at him. "You're Nathan Scott!"

"Could you hurry up please?" he said. "I've really got to catch my wife's plane."

"Oh, of course sir," she said, quickly swiping his card and giving him his flight voucher.

Nathan raced through the airport to the security checkpoint. He got a few skeptical looks since he didn't have any luggage with him, but he paid no attention as he kicked his shoes off and set them in the bin to be scanned. Haley was at gate 23, all the way across the airport. He sprinted through the crowds, almost knocking over a couple of people and leaving angry shouts in his wake. Normally he would stop and apologize, but he had to make it.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Lucas walking away from the terminal. Lucas looked up at him and the look on his face said it all. She was gone. Haley was gone and he hadn't even gotten a chance to say goodbye.

"The plane just left the terminal," Lucas said. "Sorry man."

Nathan fell to his knees. He could see the plane just outside the window as it slowly rolled away from the building. His entire world was on that flight and he was powerless to stop it. Lucas came over to him and tentatively laid a hand on his shoulder. Nathan watched as the plane moved farther and farther away and Lucas patted him awkwardly.

"She told me to tell you that she's sorry and that she loves you," Lucas said. "She wanted you to hear it one more time."

Nathan just wished that he'd gotten a chance to say it back.

A/N: So, this chapter breaks my heart. My eyes are all watered over as I'm typing this. I just kept picturing that moment in season 2 when Nathan goes running through town to catch Haley. Honestly though, this is one of my favorite chapters I've ever written. So, although I know that you probably hate how it ended, I'm hoping you enjoyed the journey as much as I did. Good things are to come for Nathan and Haley. It just might take them a little while to forgive one another and move forward with their lives.


	22. We Build then We Break

Haley sighed heavily and brushed her hair back away from her face. She leaned her head back against the white paneling of the bathroom cabinet and closed her eyes. It was the third time she'd thrown up that day. The bouts of nausea she'd been experiencing were getting worse and worse every day. There was even a bucket waiting back stage for her at her concerts in case she needed it. Thankfully she'd managed to make it through every song without having to run off stage and throw up. Brooke kept threatening to make her go to the doctor, but Haley kept waving her off. She was fine. It was just the stress.

"Feeling better?" Brooke asked, walking into the bathroom and offering Haley a glass of ginger ale.

Haley took her glass from her and cautiously took a sip. She pressed the cool glass against the skin of her neck, trying to cool herself down. She hated being sick. It was even worse when she was on tour. She hadn't even been able to ride in the tour bus. The motion sickness was completely unbearable. She'd tried after her stay in New York and it hadn't been pretty. She'd had to fly to Chicago and wait for the band to get there. She felt her stomach start to roll again and quickly took another sip of the soda. It didn't help. Seconds later she was once again emptying the contents of her nearly empty stomach into the toilet with Brooke holding back her hair.

"I'll take that as a no,' Brooke said, rubbing her back with soothing circles.

"I feel like I'm dying," Haley said as soon as she stopped retching.

"Are you sure you shouldn't go see a doctor?" Brooke said.

"I'm fine," Haley replied.

"Says the girl who just said she was dying."

"Seriously, Tigger," Haley said, taking another sip of the soda. "I'll be okay. It's probably just a stomach bug or something."

"If you're not better in two days, you're going to the doctor," Brooke said, rising to her feet.

"I don't need to go to the doctor," Haley replied stubbornly.

"You're going if I have to drag you there kicking and screaming," Brooke said. "Are you feeling well enough to get up? We have to hurry if we're going to make our flight back to L.A."

"I'll be up in a minute," Haley said. "I just want to make sure it doesn't come back."

Brooke nodded and quickly made her way out of the bathroom. Haley waited until the bathroom door clicked shut before scooting away from the cabinet so that she could open the door. She reached behind a couple of the hotel towels and grabbed a bag from the drug store that was just down the block from their hotel. She carefully unwrapped the plastic from the box inside and set it down on the tile next to her. Haley stared down at the box and could feel her hands starting to shake as she read the instructions on the back. She was Tutor Girl. She'd aced nearly every test she'd ever taken. It seemed unbelievably ironic that the most important test she would ever take had nothing to do with any book she'd ever read and everything to do with peeing on a stick.

She took another sip of her ginger ale and then carefully slipped her nail under the tab at the top of the box. She read the directions one more time and then sighed heavily. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd had her period. She'd thought it was just stress until the nausea started. She'd tried to write that off too. She'd thrown up before when she was especially stressed about something. Then Brooke had commented on how her boobs looked bigger. Of course Brooke Davis would notice something like that. It just hadn't been possible to ignore after that.

She held the pregnancy test in her hands for the few minutes before standing up and locking the bathroom door. The last thing she needed was for Brooke to walk in while she was taking it. She carefully followed the directions on the back of the box and then set the test down on the counter face down. Ten minutes. In ten minutes her life could be changed forever, although part of her was fairly certain it already was. She placed her hand against her stomach and sighed, sinking back down to the floor.

Haley stared off into space, absentmindedly caressing her stomach. She might be having a baby. The idea of a son with Nathan's eyes or a little girl with his dark hair and her curls sent a little shiver down her spine. Nathan… They hadn't spoken once in the week she'd been gone. He'd tried to call her during her concert a few days ago, but hadn't picked up when she called him back. God, she had no idea how he would react to the news. It was probably the worst possible time for them to have a baby. She wasn't even sure he would want it. Haley wrapped her arms around her stomach protectively. Nathan might not want it, but she could already feel herself falling in love with this little life she wasn't even certain existed.

"Haley," Brook called, knocking on the bathroom door. "Are you okay? It's almost time for us to go."

"Just a minute," Haley said, looking down at her watch.

It had been ten minutes. She quickly rose to her feet, thankful that the nausea didn't return. It was time for her to check the test. She stared down at the piece of plastic sitting there innocently on the counter. Her hands shook a little as she reached out to grab it. She slowly flipped the test over and felt her heart stop beating as she took in the results. She pressed her lips together in a thin line and sighed heavily. She slipped the test back in the box and stashed it back in the cabinet. The maid service would find it and take care of it. She couldn't risk anyone seeing it.

"We're gonna miss our flight, Tutor Girl," Brooke said.

"I'm coming," Haley replied.

"Are you sure you're up for the flight?" Brooke asked. "It's a long time on a plane."

"It's Nathan's first game since his accident," Haley said, coming out of the bathroom and grabbing her bag off the bed. "I have to be there, Tigger."

"Okay," Brooke said. "But if you start getting sick again at the airport, you know they might not let you fly."

"I'll be fine," Haley said.

"Hales…"

"Brooke," Haley said, making her way towards the door. "Come on. If we don't make this flight we're going to miss the game."

"You're awfully smiley for someone who just spent the last hour with their head in a toilet," Brooke said, grabbing her own bag off the table by the door. "Anything you want to tell me?"

"No," Haley said shaking her head. "Now let's go."

…

Haley stepped out of the limo in front of the Staples Center amid a flurry of camera flashes. The return of Nathan Scott had the celebrities coming out in droves, which meant that the paparazzi were there in full force. She blocked her eyes from the bright flashes. They were doing nothing to help with the nausea that had returned almost the minute she stepped off the plane. Thankfully it had at least held off until they'd landed in Chicago. She hadn't thrown up again yet, but she could feel it coming.

She paused with Brooke for a few photos and plastered a smile on her face. It would be terrible for the paparazzi to get a couple pictures of her looking green. They would automatically assume she was drunk or something. So, she just smiled as best she could and clung to Brooke's arm a little tighter, thankful that Brooke had let her wear ballet flats instead of the ridiculous pair of heels she'd wanted to force on Haley. At least Haley loved the dress she was wearing. It was black and purple (in honor of the Lakers) with a geometric pattern and a bow that cinched lightly at the waist.

"I need to get inside," she said quietly to Brooke. "Or me puking is going to be the front page of every tabloid in the country.

"Jake is supposed to be out here with our passes," Brooke replied. "Look! There he is."

Haley swayed a little on her feet as she spotted Jake pushing his way through the crowd. He was almost immediately by her side. He and Brooke flanked her on either side to shield her from pictures as best they could. Haley clung to Brooke's arm as she felt her stomach start to roll again and Brooke instinctively upped the pace.

"Bathroom," Haley gasped as soon as they got inside. "Now!"

Jake pointed her in the direction of the nearest bathroom and Haley took off at a run. Brooke frowned heavily and chewed on her lower lip as Haley raced away. They could hear her retching before the bathroom door had swung shut and both Brooke and Jake winced simultaneously.

"I am so making her go to the doctor as soon as we get back to Chicago tomorrow," Brooke said.

"How long has she been getting sick like that?" Jake asked.

"Since the third day of the tour," Brooke replied. "She keeps saying that she's fine and it's just a stomach bug but she hasn't been able to keep food down for the last three days."

"I'm better now," Haley said, walking out of the bathroom and straightening her purple dress. "Good thing I packed my tooth brush and tooth paste in my carry on."

"Yeah," Brooke said, giving her a worried look. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Brooke," Haley replied. "How many times am I going to have to tell you that?"

"Until you stop throwing up all the time," Brooke replied. "So, where are we sitting, Jakey?"

"I hate when you call me that."

"You love it and you know it," Brooke said. "So, where are we?"

"You're up in the suite with the other players' families," Jake said. "I figured it would be best if Nathan saw you after the game."

"Yeah," Haley said. "That would probably be best. How's he been?"

"Hey, Brooke, Lucas is already up in the suite," Jake said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm pretty sure that's just a ploy to get rid of me," Brooke said, looking suspiciously between Haley and Jake. "But I haven't seen my boyfriend in a week so I'm just going to go with it and go see him."

"Has he been that bad?" Haley asked after Brooke had made her way to the elevator, her eyes searching Jake's face.

"It hasn't been good, Hales," he said.

Haley sighed heavily and ran her fingers through her hair. She hadn't wanted to hear that Nathan was doing fine without her, but it was painful to hear that he wasn't doing well either. She hated knowing that he was hurting. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared down at the floor for a moment before looking up and offering Jake the best smile she could.

"Well, let's hope tonight makes it better," she said. "Does he know that I'm here?"

"I told him you were coming," he said.

"What did he say?"

"He didn't want to talk about it," Jake said. "I'm sorry, Hales. You know how he gets."

"I know," she said, nodding her head. "If you see him, tell him I'll be cheering for him."

"They'll let you down to the locker room area after the game," Jake said. "He should be waiting for you."

Jake led Haley up to the suite where Brooke and Lucas were waiting for her. She chewed on her lower lip nervously as they rode the elevator up to the right floor. She'd never been more nervous in her life, not even the time Brooke and Lucas dragged up on stage to sing at that club for the first time. She'd straightened her hair and as she reached to toy with the ends it was weird not have a curl to play with. She fidgeted nervously for the quick elevator ride and had to fight herself to stop when they got to the door of the suite.

"Haley!" she heard Lucas exclaim and his arms were immediately around her.

"How is he, Luke?" she asked him quietly.

"He's ready for tonight," Lucas said. "You know Nathan. Whenever something's bothering him, he just throws himself even further into basketball."

"Yeah," Haley said, going back to fidgeting with the ends of her hair. "Jake said he's expecting me…"

"He won't talk about it," Lucas said. "Hales, you should know that he tried to come after you."

"What?"

"He made it to the airport right as your flight was leaving the terminal," Lucas said.

"Oh, god," Haley said, sinking down into the nearest chair. "I didn't know, Luke. He tried to call me a few days ago and I was in the middle of a set."

"Yeah, it was probably a good thing you didn't answer that," Luke said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was definitely drunk dialing."

"Great," Haley said, brushing her hair back away from her face. "So the only time my husband has called me in the last two weeks was because he was drunk. Way to make a girl feel good about herself, Luke."

"Sorry," Lucas said, helping Haley to her feet and guiding her over towards the front of the suite. "He does miss you though. He hasn't said it. But everyone can tell."

Haley nodded her head as they took two empty seats next to Brooke. She looked down at the court and saw that the Lakers had just coming out onto the court to start their warm up. They were fairly high up, but she could immediately pick out Nathan in the sea of yellow and purple jerseys. He effortless took a ball and sank a three point shot. Haley smiled faintly and pressed her hand against her stomach as her nausea finally started to subside.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Nathan look up towards the suite she was sitting in. Even from a distance his eyes were mesmerizing. His mouth twitched ever so slightly as their eyes met. She couldn't call it a smile, but she could call it a reaction. It was something at any rate. He quickly broke their eye contact and refocused on what was going on around him. Just like that the connection was broken. Haley sighed and settled back into her seat. The next two hours were going to last forever.

…

"Yo," Nathan barely registered a voice saying. "Yo, Nate, where's your head at, dog?"

"Huh?" Nathan said.

"We just won the game and you look like your dog just died," Skills Taylor, one of his teammates, said.

Nathan looked around him. The rest of the team was clapping one another on the back. Discussing where they were going to celebrate. Nathan was getting dressed as slowly as possible, like he was about to face his executioner or something. He buttoned his pale blue dress shirt as slowly as possible and actually took the time to retie his tie. They'd beat the Sonics 98-74. He'd scored 27 points. It was a hell of a comeback. He should be happy about it. Too bad he was too preoccupied with his struggling marriage.

"Haley's here," he said after a long pause.

"Shit, man," Skills said, smacking him on the back. "Shouldn't you be racing out of here? That sexy ass wife of yours left her tour to come see you and you're acting like you don't want to see her.'

"Yeah," Nathan said, looking down and mentally debating whether or not he wanted to tuck in his shirt.

"Dog," Skills said, shaking his head. "I don't know what happened between the two of you, but she's here and I heard she's looking hot as hell tonight. Hurry your ass up and get out of here."

Nathan shook his head and looked down at his shirt tails. He might as well leave them untucked. It's not like it really mattered anyway. He looked at his tie and decided to untie it as well. After he'd finally finished tying his shoe laces he was the only one in the locker room. He grabbed his gym bag out of the bottom of his cubby and slowly made his way towards the door. He should have known that she would be waiting.

"I was starting to think you'd snuck out some other way," Haley said, tugging at a lock of her hair.

Skills was right. She was looking hot. Hell, she always looked hot in his opinion. She looked a little pale, but still beautiful. Her dress stopped at mid thigh, leaving her legs exposed. His eyes traveled from the tips of her black ballet flats up to her face. She definitely looked pale, and maybe like she'd lost a little weight. It had only been a week, yet her face was definitely thinner.

"I thought about it," he shrugged. "What are you doing here, Haley?"

"It was your first game since your accident, Nathan," she said, her brown eyes reflecting her hurt. "I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I had it scheduled into the tour."

"Your boyfriend didn't mind you leaving?"

"For your information," Haley said, trying to ignore the tears springing up into her eyes. "I've barely seen Chris since the start of the tour. I've been too busy puking my guts out every ten minutes."

"You're sick?" he said, taking a step towards her. "Have you been to the doctor?"

"No, I haven't," she said. "I've been a little busy with the whole tour thing."

"Well," he said. "I guess it's just one more thing you put the tour ahead of."

"What?"

"Your health," Nathan shrugged. "Our marriage."

"Nathan," she sighed, pressing her hand against her stomach as she felt a painful twinge. "I didn't come here to fight with you."

"I don't want to fight with you either, Haley," he said. "But I'm not going to stand here and pretend like everything is fine."

"What happened to the guy who came after me?" she asked. "Lucas told me that you came to the airport."

"His wife didn't call," he said. "Not once."

"I did," she said. "After you tried to call me. God, Nathan, this going back and forth isn't doing us any good."

"Then maybe you should go," he said.

Haley opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again. She grimaced as she felt that sharp twinge turn into a legitimate pain. She pressed her hand against her stomach and leaned back against the wall. She took a couple of deep breaths and rubbed her hand against her stomach. She shouldn't be feeling pain like that. She wrapped her arms around her stomach as a sudden fear came over her. She took a few ragged breaths and looked up at Nathan.

"Haley…" he said hesitantly.

"I think you should call an ambulance," she said as tears sprung up in her eyes.

"Why?" he said, coming over and laying his hands hesitantly on her shoulders so he could look her in the eye. "What's going on?"

"I think I'm having a miscarriage."

…

Nathan paced the waiting room in the hospital nervously. He probably looked like some sort of wild person. He'd rolled up his shirts sleeves not long after getting to the hospital. He'd ridden in the ambulance with Haley, but hadn't been allowed to stay with her when they'd taken her back to examine her. His tie was loose around his neck and he'd unbuttoned the first few buttons in his shirt, exposing the white undershirt beneath. He kept running his fingers through his short dark hair and was pretty sure it was a mess at that point.

He'd called Brooke and Lucas as soon as they'd gotten to the hospital. Lucas must have let Brooke drive, and break at least twenty different traffic laws, because they were there in under ten minutes. Brooke had come running into the ER in her stilettos demanding information from every nurse and doctor in sight before Nathan had been able to get to them.

"She said she might be having a miscarriage," he said quietly. "Did you know she was pregnant?"

Brooke looked like she'd just been slapped as she sank down into one of the hard plastic chairs. She buried her face in her hands for a few minutes, trying to absorb what Nathan had just said. Lucas sat down in the chair next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as Nathan started to pace again.

"God, I should have figured it out," Brooke said after a long pause. "That's why she's been so sick lately. I thought it was just nerves and stress. Or maybe her appendix or something. Oh, God, Nathan, I'm so sorry. I should have forced her to go to the doctor. I should have…"

"It's not your fault, Brooke," Lucas said, kissing the top of her head.

"I was with her every day, Lucas," she said. "I should have known something."

"Anyone here for Haley Scott?" a voice called out.

"That's me," Nathan said, spinning around to locate the voice. "How's my wife?"

"Will you come this way, please?" the doctor said.

"How's Haley?" Nathan said, close on the doctor's heels as he was lead down a long corridor with pale peach walls.

"Your wife hasn't had any bleeding," the doctor said. "Which is the main sign of a miscarriage. She said that she just found out that she's pregnant today, so we're going to do an advanced ultrasound to see if we can detect a heartbeat and get a picture of what's going on. We thought you might want to be with her for that. She was also slightly dehydrated from her morning sickness, so we've got her on an IV to replenish her fluids."

Nathan nodded as the doctor paused in front of a room. Nathan had never been more nervous before in his life. The next three minutes or so of his life could be some of the happiest or the most devastating. The doctor opened the door slowly and Nathan could see Haley looking pale and worried in the large hospital bed. Her hair was matted and she was swamped in the large pale green hospital gown. As soon as she saw him, she reached out her hand. Nathan was by her side in an instant.

He laced his fingers through hers with one hand and wrapped his arm around her. He'd never seen her look so scared before in his life. He kissed the top of her head softly and tightened his grip on her as the nurse helped Haley lift the hospital gown to expose her stomach. Haley gasped a little as the doctor spread some sort of gel over her stomach. He was pretty sure she stopped breathing the nurse pulled over the sonogram machine. Haley closed her eyes and turned her head towards Nathan as the doctor moved the transducer towards her stomach.

"There's your baby," the doctor said, pointing to a small blur on the screen of the ultrasound machine. "The heart beat is strong too."

"Our baby?" Haley said, turning to look at the screen.

She watched the monitor for a moment, her face a picture of complete awe. Nathan's eyes darted back and forth between his wife and the black and white monitor. Their baby. It was so surreal. They were having a baby. Suddenly he felt Haley turn in his arms and bury her face against his shoulders. Her shoulders started shaking as she sobbed and Nathan wrapped his arms around her.

"Why are you crying, baby?" he asked, smoothing her hair back away from her face.

"I was so scared," she gasped out between sobs. "I thought I'd lost our baby and you didn't even know about it yet."

"It's okay, Hales," he said, kissing her forehead. "It's okay."

"Your blood pressure is a little high, Haley," the doctor said. "That's what was causing your pain. We're going to keep you overnight for observation and then evaluate whether or not you should be on bed rest."

"But I'm supposed to catch a flight back to Chicago tomorrow," she said.

"What?" Nathan said, looking down at her and frowning heavily. "You just almost lost our baby and you're talking about going back to the tour."

"But my blood pressure was high because coming home to see you was stressing me out," she said, pulling away from him. "Not because of the tour. The tour was fine.

"Oh, so it's all my fault," he said, moving away from the hospital bed.

"I didn't say that," Haley replied.

"You implied it," Nathan said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Okay," Brooke said, bursting into the room. "Someone had better tell me what's going on because I am not sitting in that waiting room another minute."

"I'm out of here," Nathan said, turning towards the door.

"Nathan," Haley nearly pleaded. "Please don't walk away. You do it all the time."

"It beats running away," he said and then slammed the hospital door behind him.

"I take it you two didn't get everything all patched up," Lucas said as he walked through the door his brother had just stormed out of.

Haley just shook her head and buried her face in her hands. That couldn't have gone worse. She really shouldn't have mentioned the tour. She should have known better. Lucas sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed her back softly as Haley's mind raced through everything that happened that day. It should have been one of the happiest days of her life. Instead it was just one nightmare after another.

"So," Brooke said, turning to the doctor and the nurse. "There's a little thing I'm going to need you two to sign called a confidentiality agreement. Because that little… spat does not leave this room."


End file.
